Nurturing hope: From climate-change worriers to eco-warriors

Abstract

Young people are worried about the impacts that climate change will have on their lives. Educators need learning programmes that can help students to manage these dark emotions and become more positive about their future. Including emotions in climate-change education is now considered a crucial element and hope, in particular, has been identified as a motivating force which can help young people to become more positive and take action to respond to the climate emergency. Drawing on recommendations from the environmental-education field, as well as peace and political studies education research, eight strategies and approaches are proposed. These approaches and strategies can nurture hope and develop knowledge and skills, so that students can take action to mitigate climate change effects and feel hopeful about their future.