Klimabildung in Zeiten multipler Krisen: Fachtagung am 7.11.24 zeigt neue Herausforderungen und Lösungsansätze

Die zahlreichen Herausforderungen unserer Zeit erscheinen mitunter übermächtig. Insbesondere bei Schüler*innen droht die Gefahr eines Ohnmachtsgefühls angesichts der vielfachen Krisen. Was Schule dagegen tun kann und welche neuen Ansätze und positiven Vorbilder es gibt, wurde auf der Fachtagung „Klimabildung in Zeiten multipler Krisen“ diskutiert, die am 7.11.2024 in Berlin-Charlottenburg stattfand.

Die Schule als Ort des Lernens und Ausbildungsstätte für eine gute Zukunft hat die Aufgabe, sich mit den Krisen dieser Welt und ihren Auswirkungen auf junge Menschen auseinanderzusetzen. Insbesondere der Klimawandel erscheint für junge Menschen mitunter übermächtig und unlösbar. Was bedeutet das für den Unterricht und die Lerninhalte in der Schule? Wo liegen die größten Hindernisse für gute Klimabildung und was hilft dagegen?

Diese und weitere Themen wurden bei der 26. Fachtagung Klimaschutz an Schulen „Klimabildung in Zeiten multipler Krisen“ von inspirierenden Gästen vorgestellt und gemeinsam diskutiert. Eingeladen zur Teilnahme waren Lehrerinnen und Lehrer sowie weitere Aktive und Multiplikator*innen der Klimabildung aus Berlin. Nach drei Impulsvorträgen gab es in diversen Praxis-Workshops das Handwerkszeug für konkrete Änderungen im Schulalltag. Auch für das Networking untereinander war genügend Zeit.

Transformative education just an ‘add on’?

The first keynote speech was given by Dr. Antje Brock from the Futur Institute at the Free University of Berlin. Under the title “Transformative education for sustainability: So far only an ‘add-on’ in the education system? How can effective empowerment succeed?” she presented the current state of research based on study results and meta-analyses. Young people in particular sometimes no longer have confidence in problem solving; they experience a discrepancy between perceived (collective) self-efficacy and the perceived magnitude of sustainability problems. This can lead to excessive demands, repression, wishful thinking and fatalism. New approaches are needed in education for sustainable development (ESD) so that teachers and learners see themselves as better able to make positive changes. Shifting from footprint to handprint is a good approach to actively changing something for many people.

Is hiking now legal?

“Love of nature and hatred of people: right-wing narratives and misanthropy in environmental education” was the topic of the second keynote speech. Robin Bell from the specialist department for radicalization prevention and commitment to nature conservation (FARN) of the Friends of Nature Germany gave examples of the specialist department’s work. On closer inspection, a survival training course that actually seems harmless turns out to be an event with a clear connection to the neo-Nazi prepper scene. Nature and environmental protection are sometimes deliberately appropriated for “homeland protection and people’s protection”. This clearly showed elements of a right-wing extremist world view and historical continuities up to the “blood and soil” ideology. Experiential and environmental education continued colonial continuities that stretch back to the German Empire. (Outdoor) educational offerings that seem interesting at first glance should therefore always be checked for the actual organizers and their motivation. Publications and educational offerings from the specialist department can be found at www.nf-farn.de .

The Futur3 class of the Goethe-Gymnasium Lichterfelde

Berlin’s first climate class was presented in the third keynote speech “Climate protection in everyday school life – experiences of an active environmental school” by teachers Sven Kozelnik and Stephan Noth. The so-called Futur3 classes receive interdisciplinary lessons, enter into cooperation with extracurricular learning locations and carry out many city, neighborhood and school projects that are developed together with the students. For the third time, a class in the beginner year was set up as a climate class, for which there were again more interested students than places. At the beginning, many challenges had to be overcome at the institutional and personnel level, although the Goethe-Gymnasium has been active as an environmental school and with climate working groups for many years. Further information is available on the school website: https://goethe-gymnasium-lichterfelde.de/pluspunkte/futur3 .

In the second part of the conference, several practical workshops took place:

• How can climate protection be achieved despite a lack of time and resources in everyday school life (UfU)?
• How can environmentally friendly mobility be successfully implemented for the entire school (BUND)?
• Are hiking and carving now right-wing – what helps against right-wing narratives in nature and environmental education (FARN)?
• Do cultural education and Schools of Sustainability fit together (HKW, UdK)?
• Climate education and urban infrastructure – what new teaching materials are available (KlimaMacher.berlin)?
• How does practical energy saving work in schools – methods, possibilities, motivation (UfU)?

Our thanks go to the speakers of the keynote speeches and all the organizers of the practical workshops! With more than 80 participants, the demand from teachers in the field of environmental and climate education once again shows the great relevance of such a conference. We would also like to thank the Upper Secondary School for Automotive Technology for kindly making their school’s premises available for the conference.

The annual conference is part of the award-winning KlimaVisionen project and is organized by the UfU’s Competence Center for Climate-Neutral Schools on behalf of the Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Daniel Buchholz ( daniel.buchholz@ufu.de ). The conference is recognized as an official training course by the state of Berlin .

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