Teaching Climate change at school: increasing sustainable minded students and communities.

The high school “Liceo Scientifico V. Sereni” teachers are aware of climate change impacts and aim, through their teachings, to increase students' awareness and attention towards this issue. This year students are involved in two main projects on climate change: “Green School” and “Green It Up”. The “Green School” project aims to reduce schools' environmental impact through the implementation of sustainable practices and environmental education to promote ecological awareness among students and school staff. Last year, the entire school participated led by the 4LES class; this year, the entire school is involved again, coordinated by the 2LES and 4A classes in Laveno and 4C in Luino. The main activities that engaged students included:

• Initial analysis of water, energy, and paper consumption; interviews with school staff and class representatives to understand any difficulties in implementing serious waste separation.
• Contacts with the Municipality to highlight issues (water leaks, lack of suitable bins for waste collection).
• Creation of news broadcasts to inform about proposed good practices.
• Meetings with experts on various subjects: bloggers for textile impact, a lake expert on temperature rise consequences.
• Designing and implementing a challenge in various classes to identify and reward the most eco-friendly class.
• Designing sustainable packaging for take-away food.

This year our school participates also to "Green It Up" with two classes: 2A in Luino and 3A in Laveno. “Green It Up” is an interdisciplinary educational project addressing biodiversity loss and climate change. It engages students in understanding the causes and effects of these issues while offering practical solutions for sustainable development. Through workshops and hands-on activities, students learn about environmental and social impacts of human actions and develop their own project on biodiversity. Community involvement is crucial: the project not only educates students but also encourages their active engagement in promoting sustainable practices within the school and the community. The project's impact is twofold: it educates and empowers students as change agents. Participants become ambassadors for eco-friendly solutions, positively influencing their communities and advocating for responsible lifestyles. The aim of both projects is to move students from climate change awareness to action.