Case Study | Call for Climate Change Education Projects

Overview

In its 2023–28 action plan (Plan d’action en développement durable 2023-2028), the Quebec Ministry of Education recognizes that education is the key to societal progress and a powerful change agent. Aware of its strategic role, the Ministry has committed to promoting sustainable development education within the school system and to take a leadership role in that respect.

In light of this, Action 18 of the plan aims to fund sustainable development education projects with a view to guiding educators in their response to the growing concerns of young people with regards to environment and climate-related issues.

The call for projects, which was published in 2023, has financed 11 projects undertaken by universities, school boards and school service centres in Quebec. Each project aims to develop educational tools and resources that will be made available free of charge to the entire network of Quebec schools.

The goal of the call is to support sustainable development education-related knowledge sharing and development across Quebec. Each funded project is designed to equip school employees with the tools and knowledge they need to provide efficient education on climate change. Some projects aim to create training programs for school and teaching personnel, while others are developing teaching materials for educational consultants, teachers and preschool educators.

Engagement and Solutions

The collaborative approach taken by the Quebec government guarantees that educators and students benefit from educational content and resources that are adapted to their ages and situations, enabling them to understand the implications of climate change in their environment and to explore tangible solutions.

Initiatives among the 11 projects funded as part of the first phase of the plan include:

• Developing a toolkit for elementary school teachers focussed on education about the environment, the fight against climate change and managing climate anxiety among young people (Concordia University and Bishop’s University)

• FormAction ÉCC – A dynamic training program to better equip teachers to address climate change and environmental issues in class (Marguerite-Bourgeoys school service centre)

• Developing educational and educational facilitation materials about waste management for science and technology classes at the elementary and high school levels (Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières)

• Projet MA TERRE – Creating a multidisciplinary educational toolkit and a short film for teachers based in Nunavik realities (Kativik school board)

Thanks to this funding by the Ministry of Education, several other universities and school boards also had the opportunity to develop complementary resources to integrate climate change and environmental concepts in subjects like art, physical education, language and other disciplines beyond science and technology classes.

Outcomes and Future Vision

An amount of $500,000 per year is planned until 2028 to support selected projects under this call for projects. The initiative is fully aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), which aims to ensure quality education that is inclusive and equitable.

The scope of the plan’s outcomes goes beyond Quebec’s borders because the educational content and resources developed as part of the call for projects will be open access.

Note that nearly 700,000 students outside Quebec are in French immersion across Canada. Many more are studying at French-language schools. A large number of Francophone teachers, who are facing a lack of adequate resources, will now be able to take advantage of the tools created as part of this initiative, as they will be open access and available free of charge.