The younger generation is inheriting a world undergoing profound transformations. It is crucial to raise awareness of environmental issues and climate change among young people to shape a more promising future for all.

In Belarus, UNDP partners with educational institutions to incorporate climate change-related topics into the curriculums across all educational levels, ranging from primary schools to universities. This effort aims to establish climate education as a consistent and integral component of the overall learning experience.

Last week, a workshop on raising environmental and climate change awareness was hosted at the Republican Centre of Ecology and Local History in Minsk. The event aimed to foster a deeper understanding of environmental issues and climate change among professionals working in education. 

The plenary session titled Green Schools - Successful Future featured speeches from representatives of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Belarus, JSC Belinvestbank, and more. 

The highlight of the workshop was the presentation of UNDP’s Climate Box - a comprehensive toolkit to educate school children about climate change and inspire them to take action. Designed to make learning engaging and enjoyable, the Climate Box provides up-to-date information on climate change with a range of creative games, quizzes as well as resources for teachers.

During the dedicated sessions, the participants discussed innovative approaches to climate change education and discussed best practices of implementing the Green Schools project. The institutions piloting the Climate Box program in Belarus presented their experience and success stories.

The event concluded with the award ceremony for new Green Schools  – educational establishments that received recognition for their efforts in 2023, making them a part of the Green Schools Educational Project.