CDU educates the next generation of climate warriors

Charles Darwin University’s (CDU) new climate change and environment education program will give Northern Territory primary school students the knowledge and tools to take climate action. 

The program, led by the CDU Environment + Climate Futures Network will run from February 2027 to June 2027 and provide young people with an opportunity to contribute to the City of Darwin’s 2030 Climate Emergency Strategy.  

Workshops will be delivered face-to-face to students in Years 5 and 6, teaching them about environmental issues, climate resilience, environmental stewardship and climate change response planning.

Students will explore environmental issues relevant to Darwin City, and work together to develop ideas and practical responses for themselves and their communities.   

Funding for this program has come from the Darwin City Council’s Environment and Climate Change Grants Program. 

Environment + Climate Futures Network convenor Dr Jennifer Pinkerton said that young people play an important role in responding to climate change. 

“Young people bring fresh ideas, creativity, and a strong sense of connection to the future they will inherit,” Dr Pinkerton said. 

“By teaching primary school students about climate resilience, we hope they’ll understand the changes happening around them and feel capable of responding rather than feeling powerless."

“Students will learn which actions serve an ecosystem's health, and which actions achieve the opposite at an individual and societal levels."

“We want young Darwinians to understand that resilience isn't simply about coping with climate change, it's about developing the knowledge, skills and confidence to help create change for the better: being part of the solution and feeling a sense of agency over Darwin and Australia's future.”