Location: Central America and the Caribbean, Guatemala, Nicaragua | Priorities: Climate Change, Education, Indigenous Peoples
In addition to the impacts of the COVID pandemic, Indigenous rural communities in Central America are facing the increasing impacts of the climate crisis. The municipalities with the highest vulnerability to climate change are also the rural areas with the highest levels of poverty and greatest dependence on subsistence agriculture.
Girls are particularly impacted by these challenges. Often girls are responsible for domestic chores, such as water and firewood collection, washing, and food preparation, all of which are negatively affected by climate change. In addition, they are more likely than boys to drop out or be taken out of school if the family cannot afford schooling. At the same time, the evidence indicates that with the right education and support, girls are powerful leaders for climate change response in their families and communities.
Address the negative impacts of climate-change through education.
Teachers integrate Climate Change Education in their classes – A training module will be developed on the RACHEL technology previously deployed in classrooms and delivered to teachers to learn how to integrate climate change education and related national curriculum into their classes in innovative, contextually-relevant, and engaging ways. Thirty schools (about 90 teachers) will pilot the new training in Guatemala and Nicaragua, and provide evaluation feedback.
To create tools for teachers to improve learning on climate change and to support leadership development for students, particularly girls, on this issue. While the national curriculum include some learning outcomes and content on this topic, this is relatively new material for teachers. Climate change education in 30 schools will be immediately enhanced, and in the medium term, high quality climate change instruction that includes both indigenous and Western scientific approaches will be extended to schools with RACHELS.
Change for Children partner organizations on this project are: 60 million girls, Mundo Posible, and the Indigenous Territorial Government (GTI) with accompaniment by the Nicaraguan Ministry of Education (MINED).