Student Education Research by Kaushik Tota

Climate change is a big deal. But what do kids think about it?

We recently conducted a survey to gauge the attitudes of elementary school students towards climate change, sustainability, and personal and social responsibility with regards to the environment. We’ve found some interesting patterns which we’d love to share with you, as well as some strategies based on our findings which maximize the impact and efficacy of climate education in the classroom. Most importantly, we’ve found that lessons which are science-based, which emphasize the power of individual action, and are connected closely to local issues have the greatest potential to teach about climate change and promote pro-environmental behavior.

We’ve created an infographic (see below) which details some of the key findings of our survey and the strategies that stem from it. If the infographic interests you, we invite you to read the full report which can be found at this link: tinyurl.com/climateinclass (alternative link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zG4SpGbjZfuU1AACxzCziZr7GQ2J2M1g/view?usp=sharing).

We hope this sheds some light on how students think of climate change, as well as useful approaches for addressing this large, complex topic. Youth are the future of Earth, and protecting it involves rigorous and thorough education which emphasizes environmental stewardship and the importance of preserving our planet’s delicate balance.

- Kaushik Tota - High School Senior, St. Francis High School; Advisor Professor Eugene Cordero, San Jose State University

Kaushik Tota is a high school student passionate about deploying comprehensive climate education in classrooms nationwide. He works on various scientific, policy, and outreach initiatives within the sustainability sector. He is the recipient of the California Energy Commission’s Youth Game Changer Award, the city of Sunnyvale’s High School Student of the Year Award, and his nationwide environmental education initiative, the Climate Youth Ambassador Program, has received accolades from international organizations and companies such as Ashoka and General Motors.