Reframing Climate Adaptation Education: Integrating Living Lab and Artistic Frameworks to Engage Children

The intensifying climate crisis necessitates innovative approaches that extend beyond conventional education and behavioral strategies. This study integrates Living Lab and artistic frameworks to empower children to transform climate science into actionable narratives. From 2023 to 2024, six role-playing workshops titled “Traveling Without Rockets: A Journey to the No-Litter Planet” were held in art museums in Seoul and Changwon, adapting the framework for participatory contexts. This research examines the potential of reframing climate discourse to make it more relevant to children by addressing micro-level, everyday issues. Through the workshops as a case study, it explores the artistic experimentation of developing and applying practical solutions at individual, group, and community levels.

Existing  information-based climate education often emphasizes the severity of the crisis, inadvertently instilling fear, anxiety, and helplessness in children. This study addressed these limitations by shifting the narrative to a future-oriented perspective, asking, “How can we design and act for a climate-ready future?” This shift moved the discourse from fear and risk to imagination and proactive preparation.

Children engaged in a scenario-based methodology, leaving a devastated Earth to explore the fictional No-Litter Planet. Acting as researchers, they gathered evidence to address climate-related challenges and collaboratively reimagined Earth’s future. This scenario-based methodology went beyond traditional knowledge dissemination, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

The workshop design was grounded in a scientific literature review, emphasizing coexistence, empathy, and collaboration as essential values for addressing the climate crisis. The Living Lab framework was adapted to include storytelling and role-playing, enabling children to collaboratively create and test climate adaptation solutions in an experiential and supportive environment. Symbolic activities further enhanced children’s understanding of climate-induced inequalities and the critical need for cooperation in building resilience. Furthermore, the workshop was intentionally designed to involve parents, fostering intergenerational dialogue and engagement. By facilitating shared experiences, the workshops extended their impact from children to families and communities, encouraging collective discussions on sustainability and resilience. This focus formed the basis for designing the workshop specifically for children.

This study highlights the potential of integrating Living Lab methodology with artistic practices to enhance climate adaptation education. The findings demonstrate how combining scientific knowledge with emotional engagement cultivates resilience, imagination, and collaborative action. This interdisciplinary approach offers a scalable model for addressing global challenges and fostering community participation.

Keywords: Living Lab, Climate Adaptation, Art-Science Communication, Role-Playing Workshop, Children, Stakeholders, Co-Creation, Problem-Solving, Artistic Imagination