Our Shared World Learning Lunch: Climate Majority Project

Working to accelerate citizen-based climate action to promote system change, OSW Member organisation, the Climate Majority Project, have been supporting initiatives across the UK to create a mass movement for citizen power. Connecting local communities, citizen climate action projects and more, the team highlight the key need for combined action to tackle the growing issue of climate change.
The team recently launched a new initiative – the Climate Courage Schools (CCS) campaign – calling for system-wide shift. Students are empowered to take action, teachers supported to teach the truth. The programme supports the development of hope, emotional resilience and collective purpose in climate-based education across the UK.
This month, we heard more about the campaign from Les Gunbie (Community Coordinator for CCS) and Josephine Lethbridge (Communications and Logistics Lead for CCS).

Continue Your Learning Lunch

  1. Explore the Climate Courage Schools campaign, and watch their new film, The Hardest Lesson.
  2. Share any feedback on the film or discussion questions with josephine@climatemajorityproject.com.
  3. Sign up to Our Shared World to stay in the loop about future Learning Lunches, and follow us on LinkedIn.
  4. Find out more about the upcoming Climate & Nature Education Festival in March.

A Message From The Co-Chairs

So ends The Climate Majority Project’s mini film, shared at OSW’s recent Learning Lunch as part of their Climate Courage Schools campaign.” In just a few powerful minutes, we watched a teacher holding space for a secondary classroom on climate change — students disengaged, overwhelmed or quietly despairing as a storm quite literally builds around them. One student blurts out ‘It’s scary, sir’. The teacher responds simply… honestly: ‘Yes, it’s scary – let’s talk about it…. together.’

I cried. As a sustainability and climate change educator, it struck me deeply.

CMPs session invited us not simply to feel, but to think. Could we imagine using this film and its discussion questions as a tool? In what context? Rich, critical dialogue followed. Was the classroom representative? Which student voices were present – and which were missing? Would young climate activists or students from frontline climate-impacted communities have recognised themselves here? How was nature depicted? What age group was this appropriate for – might it overwhelm primary learners? Crucially for educators, did it cultivate agency, or risk deepening fear and disengagement?

Suggestions for use ranged from teacher reflection and leadership discussions to facilitated student dialogue. There was strong agreement on one point: context, purpose and process are crucial, as is making space to talk honestly about emotions.

I deeply admire the courage it took to create this film that surfaced something many of us recognise – the lack of emotional honesty in much climate change education. Research shows how abandoned young people can feel by those in authority and their lack of response. So how do we design climate education that surfaces emotions responsibly, rather than avoiding them?

As always, the lunch was too short, but it was powerful food for thought. If we sidestep fear, grief or anger we are falling far short of what is needed. So how can we guide young people through these existential times?

Thank you, Les and Josephine, for a truly thought-provoking session.

Missed the Learning Lunch? Watch The Recording Here!

Find a copy of the slides here:

Climate Courage Schools learning lunch (1)
Find a copy of the chat here.