climate – Archivio Marymount

Climate Action Project: il riconoscimento da parte del World Economic Forum

2023

Data di pubblicazione: 14 Febbraio 2023

Un progetto didattico globale e innovativo quello del Climate Action Project, che la nostra scuola – gemellata con istituti di altri paesi (in particolare: la Delphi Public School Nagpur in India, la Modern School Lanus in Argentina e la Cloud British Private School – UAE) e divenuta Climate Action School – porta avanti con numerosi appuntamenti in calendario e la cui rilevanza è stata riconosciuta anche dal World Economic Forum.

Il WEF lo ha infatti selezionato tra i migliori 16 progetti che a livello internazionale rappresentano, nell’ambito “Education 4.0”, modelli didattici all’avanguardia, in grado di tracciare nuove strade e di essere fonte d’ispirazione, proprio a partire dall’educazione per l’infanzia, per tutta la società (Lighthouses).

Di seguito riportiamo l’articolo a cura della docente Amy Alison Bivin, Climate Action Leader nella nostra scuola e Ambassador per l’Italia.

Per approfondire:

https://marymount.it/listituto-marymount-tra-le-climate-action-schools-in-prima-linea-nelleducazione-ambientale/

https://initiatives.weforum.org/reskilling-revolution/education-lighthouses

World Economic Forum Recognizes Climate Action Leadership of 3.4 million Teachers and Students from 149 Countries

Recently, the World Economic Forum designated the Climate Action Project as an Education 4.0 Lighthouse, one of 16 innovative public-private collaborations that are reimagining the childhood learning experience. The Forum, which engages the foremost political, business, and cultural leaders to shape the global agenda, recognized the leadership of the 3.4 million teachers and students who participate in the Climate Action Project at its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland attended by 2,700 world leaders.

“Young people worldwide are witnessing climate change and want to take action. They understand the power of collective action and of the integral role that they play in creating change at a global-level. Their actions make our Lighthouse shine brightly,” said Dr. Jennifer Williams, Co-Founder, Take Action Global (TAG) the nonprofit organization behind the Climate Action Project, a free program that brings together thousands of PreK-12 classrooms from around the world to examine climate change and environmental literacy.

During the six-week program, teachers use curriculum and lesson plans in 16 languages to guide students through weekly activities. In the final week, participants celebrate Climate Action Day, a global online event where students ask questions and share their learning and actions with world leaders, climate scientists and researchers, and international youth activists. Examples of climate actions have included:

Students in Malawi planted 60 million trees to save a lake;
U.S. students developed a solar suitcase which was shipped to a Kenyan refugee camp where it now offers free power supply to a partner school;
Canadian students developed cheap solar lights which were shipped to a Kenyan slum where it offers free light to 200 families; and
Portuguese students made a plastic recycling machine which turns plastic waste into bowls and cutlery.

Marymount continues to be a forerunner in educating our youth on the climate crisis. This year, after becoming a Climate Action School, Istituto Marymount is trying to raise awareness about the impact of waste in the clothing industry.

Marymount continues to be an educational model by fostering\building 21st century skills for our students. They are learning to use creativity, analytical skills to understand climate change, use critical thinking to problem-solve and collaborate in hands-on group activities about these issues. For instance, the 3rd graders have completed a series of transversal projects (geo, science and technology) created by the LEGO Group to enhance their understanding of zero waste called “Build the Change”.
Marymount continues to be a forerunner in educating our youth on the climate crisis. This year, after becoming a Climate Action School, Istituto Marymount is trying to raise awareness about the impact of waste in the clothing industry. This year we will continue the tradition of celebrating Carnevale but are organizing a more sustainable celebration. Stay tuned for the exciting event.

“Climate action education has an important role to tackle climate change on a global scale. It informs students, takes away climate anxiety, and brings important skills to a classroom including empathy, creativity, and problem-solving,” added TAG co-founder Koen Timmers. “We are honored by this recognition and look forward to joining our peers in the knowledge-sharing networks and leadership meetings hosted by the World Economic Forum as part of this initiative.”

For further details about the project:

https://marymount.it/listituto-marymount-tra-le-climate-action-schools-in-prima-linea-nelleducazione-ambientale/

https://initiatives.weforum.org/reskilling-revolution/education-lighthouses

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L’Istituto Marymount tra le Climate Action Schools: in prima linea nell’educazione ambientale

2022

Data di pubblicazione: 23 Novembre 2022

È con grande piacere che la nostra scuola è entrata a far parte del network globale Climate Action Schools che connette, nell’ambito di un progetto speciale sostenuto dall’organizzazione Take Action Global (TAG), insegnanti e studenti – dai 5 ai 18 anni – nello studio delle cause del cambiamento climatico, stimolando riflessioni e possibili soluzioni.

Un’occasione preziosa, in sintonia con gli obiettivi promossi dall’Agenda 2030, grazie alla quale, nell’arco di dieci mesi, i nostri studenti e quelli di altre parti del mondo potranno confrontarsi e portare avanti azioni concrete.

«L’educazione sui temi relativi al clima è un punto cruciale – afferma l’insegnante Amy Bivin, Climate Action School Leader – ed è necessario sensibilizzare le nuove generazioni sulla grave crisi climatica, incoraggiandole ad essere proattive».
Un altro passo significativo verso una maggiore consapevolezza, nel principio che, da sempre, ispira la nostra comunità. Nell’andare oltre l’apprendimento, alla ricerca autentica di un significato.

Di seguito riportiamo maggiori dettagli sul progetto (articolo a cura della docente Amy Alison Bivin, Climate Action School Leader):

Istituto Marymount is delighted to join the Climate Action Schools community. Climate Action Schools is a new global network that connects educators and students ages 5-18 to explore the causes and effects of climate change, develop solutions, and take action together through a special program created by Take Action Global (TAG).

Take Action Global is a leading nonprofit organization committed to climate action education and equitable educational learning opportunities for global educators and K-12 students. TAG supports the United Nations’ Agenda for 2030 with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with specific focus on SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 13: Climate Action, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. During the past six years, TAG has served over 3.4 million students and educators from 149 countries through online learning programs. TAG has established partnerships with international experts and world leaders, including the UN, NASA, LEGO, Cartoon Network, and the Jane Goodall Institute, and 20 Ministries of Education. TAG is a co-author of the Climate Literacy Petition on Earth Day 2022 with the Earth Day Organization and Fridays for the Future.

Young people worldwide are witnessing climate change and want to take action. They understand the power of collective action and of the integral role that they play in creating change at a global-level. There is an urgent need to provide more opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to come together in cross-cultural exchange for dialogue, shared experience, and action. Climate Action Schools seeks to meet this need.

«Climate education has an important role to tackle climate change on a global scale. It informs students, takes away climate anxiety, and brings important skills to a classroom including empathy, creativity, and problem-solving. Climate Action Schools will allow teachers to be trained and students to showcase their efforts on a global scale» shares program co-founder, Koen Timmers.

Istituto Marymount is a Catholic bilingual school welcoming students from preschool age through high school. They aim to implement the foundations of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary and implement instruction with Christian values. They welcome students from different religions, cultures, languages and social growth. They are dedicated to developing each student‘s potential to allow them to face challenges in a constantly changing world.

«Climate education is crucial and I think it is urgent we teach our students about the serious climate crisis that is evolving and encourage them to be proactive, said Amy Bivin, Climate Action School Leader. I am thrilled that Istituto Marymount is dedicated to being a forerunner in Climate Education in Italy and the world. The best way to make changes to help our planet is by empowering students to be sensitive to world issues and be global agents for change. It is our job as educators to be their compass on this journey. I am proud to be part of such an innovative school with a commitment that provides more than learning – they give meaning!».

Istituto Marymount will take action during this 10-month, school-wide climate education learning experience that will include educator certifications and an online Community of Practice, interdisciplinary resources, guided schoolwide data collection, school-to-school global virtual exchanges, and a student-led schoolwide climate project.

A third grade student, M.B. said “Our planet is sad and angry and is taking revenge on the humans who destroyed it. We need to work together to make small changes and make earth a better place because we deserve a healthy planet.”

As a founding Climate Action School, Istituto Marymount continues to incorporate global issues and objectives into their interdisciplinary curriculum school-wide. Consequently, they set the foundation for their educators to be the guide for students to experience and discover their roles in becoming changemakers and climate champions in their local communities and in the world.

In September the United Nations held a “Transforming Education Summit”. There is an urgent need to transform education globally in order to reach the goals of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. UN Secretary-General, Antònio Guterres commented that we must “refocus our efforts” to meet the commitments under the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

He also described the Summit of the Future and the next SDG Summit in 2023 as “twin summits”. The two high-level events share a common objective of “creating conditions for a sustainable, equitable and inclusive future,” Guterres stated. The “twin summits” are “our last, best chance to deliver on… a multilateral system that manages and solves global challenges in a timely, effective and fair way,” the Secretary-General underscored.

Guterres described the “Common Agenda” as a “booster shot” for the SDGs and identified four broad categories. One of these objectives is: a focus on the future with steps to enhance youth engagement and to take future generations into account in policy decisions. Inevitably Climate Education will become part of the educational curriculum worldwide for all ages.

Marymount is ahead of the game by empowering our youth to be proactive in order to become changemakers!

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Per una scuola sempre più verde: dal progetto Treedom al Marymount Garden News!

2021

Data di pubblicazione: 17 Dicembre 2021

Una scuola sempre più consapevole e attenta ai concetti di sostenibilità e riciclo: continua il “cammino verde” delle nostre classi che, in particolare, ha visto gli alunni della scuola dell’Infanzia impegnati nella cura dell’orto e con la divertente “cucina di fango”; quelli della Primaria coinvolti nel Progetto Treedom dove gli studenti hanno creato, ad inizio dell’anno, un’installazione artistica in giardino per condividere i loro pensieri e le loro riflessioni sui temi legati all’ambiente.

Sono stati numerosi, infatti, i momenti, in questi mesi di attività scolastica, per riflettere sull’impatto concreto delle nostre azioni, anche alla luce degli ultimi importanti vertici sul clima; un impegno costante per il quale la nostra scuola è stata premiata come realtà d’eccellenza a livello globale, insieme a soli altri 250 istituti scolastici, per il “Climate Action Project School”.

Una conoscenza sempre più approfondita, che parte dalle piccole cose e da ciò che abbiamo intorno – come ricorda l’insegnante Lidia Tavani – per un progressivo avvicinamento ai materiali naturali, favorendo la didattica all’aperto e mappando gli alberi delle nostre aree verdi tramite QR Code.

Un sapere acquisito attraverso l’esperienza diretta, informandosi, ma soprattutto mettendo all’ascolto tutti i nostri sensi (dall’olfatto, alla vista e al tatto) per sperimentare in prima persona la bellezza e l’importanza del verde.

Parte integrante di questo progetto verticale e multisfaccettato è il Marymount Garden News, una pubblicazione creata e realizzata dalla Primaria del nostro Istituto. Di seguito condividiamo il primo numero che contiene una serie di articoli che vanno dalla semina autunnale, alla storia della nostra Scuola fino ad un interessante focus sulla paulonia.

MARYMOUNT GARDEN NEWS

Here is the link to the list of Schools of Excellence: https://climate-action.info/schools-excellence

Here is the online certificate: https://climate-action.info/download/SoE-certificate.pptx

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Istituto Marymount honoured with prestigious ‘Climate Action Project School of Excellence’ award

2021

Data di pubblicazione: 9 Novembre 2021

Rome, 8/11. Today Istituto Marymount in Rome, Italy, was awarded Climate Action Project School of Excellence. Only 250 schools globally were recognized because of their intense work on climate education in a whole-school approach. There were only 5 schools in all of Italy. The recognition was awarded by Cartoon Network and Climate Action Project. The webinar was streamed live at the COP26 in Glasgow.

Cartoon Network Climate Champions is a climate change awareness initiative that sets out to inspire kids to take on daily challenges that collectively can make a big difference to the health of our planet. It has been developed in collaboration with WWF, a world-renowned environmental organization.

Climate Action Project is a free, global education project that was launched by Take Action Global, an education nonprofit based in the USA, involving 2,700,000 teachers and students across 146 countries. The project aims to help students learn about the climate crisis in authentic ways and disseminate solutions online.

The recognized schools submitted their work for the past year and met extensive criteria, including a school-wide commitment to climate education and student solutions.

Istituto Marymount has started a “Treedom Project: freely eco-sustainable neighborhoods.” At the beginning of the school year, the school involved students in writing words and phrases to create an artistic installation to hang from the branches of a tree in the school garden. Students responded with enthusiasm and intense participation, demonstrating sensitivity and respect for the natural environment that surrounds us. Now the school is working to develop a collaboration with the municipal bodies in charge with the aim of raising awareness in the city community towards the protection of our environment. Students intervene in such a way that they tend to promote and encourage ways to stop climate change. Students feel empowered to make changes.

The 250 schools selected as Climate Action Project Schools of Excellence were announced on November 4, 2021 during Climate Action Day, an annual online live event attended by 250,000 people globally. The event speakers included Prince William, President James Alix Michel, Seychelles, Rick Davis, NASA, Matt Larsen-Daw, WWF, Princess Esmeralda, Belgium, Juan Pablo Celis Garcia, UN Environment Programme, and other world leaders, climate scientists, and activists.

The winners were announced by Dan Russell, the voice actor behind several characters in Cartoon Network global hit series The Amazing World of Gumball, and Nandi Bushell, an 11-year-old musician, an influencer and passionate climate advocate.

Prince William’s statement “We need youth’s creativity to repair our planet. We need students to invent and to innovate – to think beyond where we are now and to be optimistic about our future.”

Koen Timmers, the creator of the Climate Action Project, said: “There is no vaccine for climate change.” Amy Bivin, a teacher at the Marymount Institute, says “The Cure is ACTION! No matter how small one is, one action at a time, one day at a time with a positive mindset, we can make a difference! The best way to act is through EDUCATION. By teaching children about climate change, we raise awareness and empower them to solve the problem and stop the damage caused by previous generations. We only have one planet and we need it more than it needs us.”

Dr. Jennifer Williams, Climate Action Project, said: “Our community of educators have come together in support of climate education for all. We are committed to ensuring students have access to information, ideas, and opportunities to take action for the planet, and, today, these Schools of Excellence are leading the way for the entire world.”

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Here is the link to the list of Schools of Excellence: https://climate-action.info/schools-excellence

Here is the online certificate: https://climate-action.info/download/SoE-certificate.pptx

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Let’s Work Together to Make a Change

2021

Data di pubblicazione: 5 Marzo 2021

This year all 3^rd graders participated in the annual global project for Climate Action from October to December. During this student-centered project, we embraced 21st Century learning skills to better understand the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal number 13: Climate Action. Despite COVID-19 we escaped classroom barriers and “traveled” around the world by connecting with students across the globe. Throughout this project the students collaborated through research, brainstorming and discussion and creating posters. 3B created original songs and choreographed their own dance moves and produced several videos with creativity.

Week 1: The first week the students focused on the causes of Climate Change both locally and globally. The students broke into groups to investigate: Pollution, Extreme Weather, Ice Caps Melting, Oceans Rising, Deforestation and Endangered Animals.

Week 2: In the 2nd week the students concentrated on the effects of Climate Change locally. Italy is a peninsula so they concluded we are mostly affected by: glaciers melting in the Alps so the seas levels are rising and this causes coastal erosion. The rising temperatures cause droughts and fires and increased rainfall causes floods.

Week 3: This week they looked beyond Italy and explored the effects of Climate Change around the world. Italy has more of problem with coastal erosion but many other places have problems with more extreme weather like hurricanes and tornados in the USA and tsunamis in southeast Asia. This year there were so many serious fires like in Australia, California and the Amazon. Also in some places in Asia sometimes schools are closed because of pollution. One common global factor is the Coronavirus. Students watched a video message from Jane Goodall, where she indicated COVID is partly caused by animal displacement from climate change. This is a truly a global effect!!

Week 4: This week was dedicated to finding solutions for the Climate Change. Their first action started at the beginning of the school year by not using single-use plastic water bottles (a big problem in Italy) at school and even the cafeteria introduced carafes. They want to take it one step further next year and introduce a “Meatless Monday” to raise awareness about preserving land and water resources.

Our final week the students resolved to take action through virtual (live) interactions. Everyone participated in a global Webinar with speakers from NASA, WWF, UN, students around the world and even several celebrities. 3B connected with several classes around the world to share findings and discuss solutions with students in Pakistan, India, Russia Hungary and Croatia.

Our students worked very hard but had so much fun learning about important global issues that will have a long-term effect on their lives. 3B concluded the project by writing a letter to President Mattarella, asking for help in spreading the news and to other students in Italy so they can learn about the importance of studying Climate Change. We will continue our studies of the sustainable development goals and work hard to leave our planet in a better condition than we found it by working together to solve the problem. The students say: “We may be small but by working together, taking it one step at a time, we can make a change.”

Amy Alison Bivin

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