Educators are now provided with a Resource Kit focusing on Climate Emotions

Educators are now provided with a Resource Kit focusing on Climate Emotions

Fresh Scoop: Climate Mental Health Network and NEEF Unleash First Educator-Tested Kit to Cope with Student Climate Emotions

Score one for those battling the mental health impact of climate change! The Climate Mental Health Network and the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) have teamed up to release a game-changing toolkit, affectionately named the "Climate Emotions Toolkit for Educators." This teacher-tested resource is the very first of its kind, designed to support middle school educators in navigating their own anxieties about climate change and helping their students cope, too.

From Research to Real-world

Built from nationwide research, classroom testing, and feedback, this kit offers an array of practical tools to help teachers guide students through their own emotional responses to climate change. The creation journey involved research, resource development, prototyping, revisions, and, finally, a nationwide trial, resulting in the immensely valuable Climate Emotions Toolkit. The research underpinning this feat is now available for those eager to dive deeper.

Sara Espinoza, NEEF's President and CEO, proudly declared, "Our pilot with the Climate Mental Health Network marks the culmination of a multi-year mission to test resources that can help teachers cope with their emotions about climate change and effectively support the mental health and well-being of their students."

The Uneasy Truth

Extreme weather events are no longer just headlines – they're daily life disruptions, as evidenced by the past year's devastation throughout the US. A 2024 study in The Lancet showed that an astounding 85% of youth across the nation fret about climate change. Close to home, a 2024 pilot study by NEEF and the Climate Mental Health Network revealed that a staggering 98% of teachers witnessed their students responding emotionally to climate-related extreme weather events. However, before the toolkit, only 10% of teachers felt well-equipped to address these emotions.

Larissa Dooley, PhD, Research Psychologist and Director of Research and Programs for the Climate Mental Health Network, shed light on the research process: "We piloted the project across diverse regions, including rural, suburban, and urban areas, along with coastal and interior states, even encompassing some of the largest school systems in the US. This wide variety of samples provided crucial insights that will ensure the toolkit remains beneficial to teachers in various climate vulnerable regions."

What Lies Within the Climate Emotions Toolkit?

What can expect inside the Climate Emotions Toolkit for Educators? A smorgasbord of helpful resources, like the Climate Emotions Wheel, effective teaching strategies, support materials, success stories, and guidelines on transforming anxiety into action. It also provides 10 flexible student activities, aligned with science standards, that guide students into exploring their emotions, personal actions, and solutions via storytelling and reflection. To top it off, the toolkit includes the Mindful Moments for Climate Curriculum Teachers, filled with mindfulness tools and reflective activities to help teachers manage their own climate-related emotions.

Assisting Teachers, Empowering Students

Megan Willig, Program Manager for Environmental Education at NEEF, explained the toolkit's comprehensive approach: "This resource offers ready-to-use, adaptable materials for teachers, making it simple to incorporate the toolkit into various subjects and classroom settings while supporting their mental well-being. By equipping teachers with these resources, they can tackle their students' emotional needs with confidence."

Pilot's Key Insights:

• 100% of teachers would endorse the intervention to colleagues.
• 99% of teachers reported successful student engagement with the activities.
• 98% of teachers witnessed emotional reactions from students while teaching about climate change.
• 97.5% of teachers express worry about climate change.
• 83% of teachers reported that their school communities faced climate-related extreme weather events.
• 10% of teachers felt prepared to address student climate-related emotions before the pilot. After the trial, 77% felt adequately prepared.

Take a Peek:

• Research Findings from US Public Middle School Teachers
• Findings from a Nationwide Pilot

1. The Climate Emotions Toolkit, born from months of research and hands-on testing, is a testament to the resilience of those tackling the mental health effects of climate change.
2. This groundbreaking teacher-tested resource, the Climate Emotions Toolkit for Educators, bridges the gap between science, health and wellness, and environmental education, fostering a holistic approach to climate mental health.
3. The toolkit provides an assortment of practical resources, including the Climate Emotions Wheel, strategies for teaching, support materials, and guides on transforming anxiety into constructive action, all tailored for middle school educators.
4. In addition to student activities that align with science standards, the toolkit also offers mindfulness tools and reflective activities, promoting the health and wellness of teachers as well.
5. Environmental education, education-and-self-development, and climate-change are intertwined in the Climate Emotions Toolkit, empowering educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate their own climate-induced anxieties while effectively supporting their students' mental health.
6. The Climate Emotions Toolkit is envisioned as a versatile resource, making it effortless for teachers to incorporate the materials into various subjects and classroom settings.
7. Following the pilot, 77% of teachers felt prepared to address their students' emotional responses to climate change, demonstrating the toolkit's significant impact on the education sector and mental health at large.

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