Students at public high schools in Attica are currently engaging with the climate crisis as an opportunity for action and change. They are doing so in the context of the new “Green Optimism” educational programme funded by a donation from Deloitte, coordinated by Bodossaki Foundation, and implemented by Science Communication – SciCo. The initiative focuses on cultivating resilience and an active stance in school children, countering eco-anxiety and encouraging young people to make the transition from worrying to taking action.
Research data makes it clear just how important the initiative is: 75% of young people view the future as scary, 59% say they are “very” or “extremely” worried about climate change, more than 50% experience strong negative emotions such as anxiety, sadness or anger, and 45% report that the climate crisis has a negative impact on their everyday life (Hickman et al., 2021; from a sample of 10,000 young people aged 16-25 from ten countries).
“Green Optimism” seeks to transform this anxiety into a force for change by encouraging students to see themselves as part of the solution and come up with practical ways to improve their school and local environment.
The programme was piloted in November in seven schools, which were selected following the receipt of expressions of interest from their teachers in response to a SciCo call for applications. To implement the project, the SciCo team drew up a special guide for teachers focused on STEM-based tools, methodologies and modern pedagogical approaches like Design Thinking and Inquiry-based Learning that support active participation and development. In the next step, the teachers received face-to-face training, which included a presentation of practical tools for classroom use. The programme has since come to life in classrooms across Attica with the enthusiastic participation of students who have, among other things, created podcasts on Climate Change and participated in debate battles. The 1th cycle of the programme is expected to benefit 400 students.
According to Maria Ziouvelou, Chief Marketing Officer and Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Leader at Deloitte Greece:
“Green Optimism provides young people with a practical approach to turning their climate anxiety into focused action, while developing skills that will be useful in the future. At Deloitte, we support this initiative because we believe that quality education gives young people the confidence to act, alongside the knowledge they need. Our collaboration with Bodossaki Foundation and SciCo is an excellent example of how actors with shared values and vision can join forces to generate meaningful change.”
Hara Tasoglou, Director of Communication and Development at Bodossaki Foundation, says:
“Moving beyond grant-making, the Bodossaki Foundation partners with organizations that share its lifelong commitment to supporting Greek society in order to serve systematically as a catalyst for social giving. In this context, we are delighted to have joined forces with Deloitte and SciCo to create “Green Optimism”. Made possible by Deloitte’s donation, this new educational initiative empowers students to face the climate crisis with knowledge, creativity and action in place of fear, instilling in the participants the belief that they can each make a meaningful contribution to improving the world around them.”
Thodoris Anagnostopoulos, CEO and Founder of SciCo:
“Our activities as an educational organization bring us into almost daily contact with young people, and we have noticed the emergence of a climate-crisis-related phobia in recent years. We believe that stress is best dealt with through action and inner peace. With this in mind, we joined forces with Deloitte and Bodossaki Foundation to create the “Green Optimism” programme. Through the programme, we empower teenagers, using cutting-edge educational techniques to permit them to discover for themselves different ways in which they can take meaningful action.”