Through the “Cultivate the Future” project, the GTV association worked with seven classes at Bresadola Lower Secondary School, part of the Trento 5 Comprehensive School, involving around 140 pupils and 10 teachers, for a total of six hours of activity, held on 12, 16 and 19 March.

The project is based on an experiential education methodology, with the aim of contributing to the development and strengthening of educational communities. The central theme addressed concerned the global interconnections between the causes and effects of climate change, subsequently explored in greater depth through further thematic areas, including outdoor education, the climate crisis and the value of civic engagement and volunteering.

The project is divided into two phases: an initial phase of classroom learning, during which knowledge and awareness-raising tools are provided, and a second phase focused on outdoor education, understood as experiential learning in the field.

During the classroom activities, the pupils were taught about various topics, including the distinction between climate and weather, climate change, and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, which are now becoming increasingly common both nationally and globally. A central concept of the project is that of global interconnections, which highlights how the climate system is closely interrelated on a planetary scale. Local events can in fact generate knock-on effects even at great distances: melting ice contributes to rising sea levels, rising ocean temperatures intensify extreme events, whilst prolonged droughts can cause food crises and migration.
The approach adopted involved a process which, starting from a general perspective, progressively led to a more specific analysis of the local context, with particular reference to the situation in Trentino.

Finally, a slide from the project, reproduced below, outlines the practical steps that each individual can take to help protect the environment and mitigate the most serious effects of climate change.

We would like to thank not only the GTV association for their collaboration, but also other local organisations, such as ACAV (Association for Voluntary Aid) and IPSIA (ACLI Institute for Peace, Development and Innovation).