What do we want young people to be learning right now? And how should that learning take place? What form of education might best prepare young people for a future with climate change?

The foundation of our current education system was assembled centuries ago, fueled by the needs of the industrial revolution. The world today clearly looks very different and, correspondingly, education requires a different foundation, grounded in a new set of priorities. Is competition or collaboration more valuable? Is time in school better spent memorizing facts or evolving high emotional intelligence and imagination? Where does creativity fit in? Does it make sense for young people to spend most of the day inside, behind desks?

And to what degree is the science of climate change being taught in today’s classrooms? Are students engaged in exploring the topic in an interdisciplinary fashion, encouraged to make systemic connections and empowered to creatively and actively participate in solutions? And what can parents and other caregivers do about any of the above?

This section explores the education system of today, and particularly that of the United States, in light of the climate crisis and asks what we most want students learning and how we can best deliver that form of education in today’s schools.