I'm so pleased that this topic is being addressed. The point about active listening strikes me as being particularly important, given that the subject of the climate crisis is so polarised. As someone interested in eco-spirituality, I know that one way of helping students as they gain awareness of the problems facing the planet is to encourage focusing on something particular, such as a nearby pond or clump of trees, and letting creativity flow through painting, writing or some other art or craft. This provides an outlet for feelings on the one hand and offers the student a chance to get into a flow state, where he or she stops fearing what will happen in the future and simply experiences his/her compassion in the moment.
Once I invited my group of kindergarteners and first graders to listen to what their favorite creek was saying to them. They sat in their own spots and wrote in notepads. The poetry organically produced was quite beautiful. Most of their written messages were simple expressions of love: "The creek is thanking us." "The creek likes when we play."
How lovely, Shawna! Yes, exercises like this focus on the sense of connection and remove the matter of what's possible or logical. If only our culture wasn't so dismissive of intuitive responses to the natural world and more grown-ups allowed themselves to feel connected.
This is really exciting work, but I’m shocked that “let’s get youth outside to experience the joys and resiliency of nature” is not on your list. That for sure is the top way to counteract negative climate emotions.
This is so important. I look forward to the compendium. My trilogy on the climate crisis, 'Katja's World Game', is designed to be used in school and university classrooms. I have found Rebecca Young's books very helpful in thinking about how to use climate crisis fiction in the classroom.
Thank you so much! I plan to talk about this resource with my environmental education students at Warren Wilson College. I've been sharing with my students diverse stories from my book LOVE YOUR MOTHER: 50 States, 50 Stories, & 50 Women United for Climate Justice, and I'd love to develop a companion curriculum for different ages to use collective stories of climate action as an educational tool too. Thank you SO much and I look forward to the complete resource!
Good day. No generation has been emotionally literate at such a young age. So, assign the slow rhythm of time it takes for an adolescent to ripen into early adulthood with human feeling as verb and feelings as nouns. Neuroscientists very recently discovered and named something eastern poets and natural science philosophers have known for a thousand years: humans are interdependent and interrelate with all other likewise organic and inorganic life forms from bird-bee-flower-mineral-star — an indra’s net that is whole and reflects itself and all other beings. The neuroscientists call it the interstitium — that juicy layer of nerve cells just beneath the epidermis that originates and maintains itself as the wholeness that is the human equivalent of indra’s net, as mindbodysoul. When humans understand better their wholeness and non-binary existence they will better understand their feelings or juicy layers and how these layers intra- and inter/communicate. We will have grown our awareness. Thank you,
this is great to read - I'd love to collaborate with some student leadership tools for direct action, done collaboratively to increase the number of high school students walking and cycling to school - links available!
My heart thanks yours for this vital and hopeful approach. 👏🏼💗🙌🏽 All hearts on deck for climate justice!
Thank you Christine! All hearts on deck indeed!
Thank you for your kind words Christine!
I'm so pleased that this topic is being addressed. The point about active listening strikes me as being particularly important, given that the subject of the climate crisis is so polarised. As someone interested in eco-spirituality, I know that one way of helping students as they gain awareness of the problems facing the planet is to encourage focusing on something particular, such as a nearby pond or clump of trees, and letting creativity flow through painting, writing or some other art or craft. This provides an outlet for feelings on the one hand and offers the student a chance to get into a flow state, where he or she stops fearing what will happen in the future and simply experiences his/her compassion in the moment.
Once I invited my group of kindergarteners and first graders to listen to what their favorite creek was saying to them. They sat in their own spots and wrote in notepads. The poetry organically produced was quite beautiful. Most of their written messages were simple expressions of love: "The creek is thanking us." "The creek likes when we play."
How lovely, Shawna! Yes, exercises like this focus on the sense of connection and remove the matter of what's possible or logical. If only our culture wasn't so dismissive of intuitive responses to the natural world and more grown-ups allowed themselves to feel connected.
Agree!
This is so beautiful Leanne!
This is really exciting work, but I’m shocked that “let’s get youth outside to experience the joys and resiliency of nature” is not on your list. That for sure is the top way to counteract negative climate emotions.
Thank you for your comment. As one of the authors of this report, I can assure you it's in there as one of the many recommendations we make.
Interesting! I read it twice looking for it. I re-read before I posted the comment.
I meant that it's in the actual guide. What's published in Gen Dread is a summary and does not cover all of the recommendations.
This is so important. I look forward to the compendium. My trilogy on the climate crisis, 'Katja's World Game', is designed to be used in school and university classrooms. I have found Rebecca Young's books very helpful in thinking about how to use climate crisis fiction in the classroom.
Thank you so much! I plan to talk about this resource with my environmental education students at Warren Wilson College. I've been sharing with my students diverse stories from my book LOVE YOUR MOTHER: 50 States, 50 Stories, & 50 Women United for Climate Justice, and I'd love to develop a companion curriculum for different ages to use collective stories of climate action as an educational tool too. Thank you SO much and I look forward to the complete resource!
Good day. No generation has been emotionally literate at such a young age. So, assign the slow rhythm of time it takes for an adolescent to ripen into early adulthood with human feeling as verb and feelings as nouns. Neuroscientists very recently discovered and named something eastern poets and natural science philosophers have known for a thousand years: humans are interdependent and interrelate with all other likewise organic and inorganic life forms from bird-bee-flower-mineral-star — an indra’s net that is whole and reflects itself and all other beings. The neuroscientists call it the interstitium — that juicy layer of nerve cells just beneath the epidermis that originates and maintains itself as the wholeness that is the human equivalent of indra’s net, as mindbodysoul. When humans understand better their wholeness and non-binary existence they will better understand their feelings or juicy layers and how these layers intra- and inter/communicate. We will have grown our awareness. Thank you,
Donna Fleischer
2.1.24
this is great to read - I'd love to collaborate with some student leadership tools for direct action, done collaboratively to increase the number of high school students walking and cycling to school - links available!