Thirteenth International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts & Responses

Abstract

Transforming the “Greta Thunberg moment” into enduring youth political engagement may be the linchpin upon which twenty-first century success in combatting climate change depends. Pursued collaboratively by Alma College, the Shiv Nadar Foundation, and the United Nations Information Center for India and Bhutan, a climate themed experiential learning initiative for thousands of Delhi area students grades 7-12 was launched in 2013 with the express goal of engaging young Indian students with the existential issue of our time. Benefitting from a close teaching/mentoring relationship, Alma College and Shiv Nadar School students spend seven weeks annually examining various facets of the climate crisis, including water scarcity, forced migration, and conflict, with the goal of developing solutions at a school level Model UN conference. The results have been impressive, with students organizing climate oriented clubs and events, faculty and administrators incorporating climate change material throughout the curriculum, and the Shiv Nadar Foundation sponsoring the first all-India, climate change focused, Model UN conference in 2020. This poster highlights the importance of transnational, multi-stakeholder, collaborative efforts to provide youth with avenues by which they can both learn about climate change and, most importantly, develop a sense of political efficacy that will inform their adult political engagement.