Information is the first condition for effective action to meet the challenges of the climate emergency. “Climate Fresk” is a tool for facilitating educational and collaborative scientific workshops on climate change. It raises awareness and engages the general public and educational communities in the transition.
“Climate change is often dealt with in one aspect only (fires, floods, melt, etc.), without understanding the subject as a whole. This lack of perspective is disarming and anxiety-provoking: we are told everywhere that there is an emergency, without understanding why or how to act.” (Source, https://fresqueduclimat.org/)
Thus, by reconstructing the chain of causes and consequences of climate change in a playful and collaborative way, Climate Fresk makes it possible, on the basis of a shared scientific diagnosis, to raise awareness and create the will to act in the face of this global challenge.
This awareness-raising tool is now used by all audiences in France and in over 40 countries.
Objective scientific information and constructive discussions: focus on the course of the “Climate Frescoes”
The tool consists of 42 maps from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports. “Melting ice caps”, “Additional greenhouse effect”, “Freshwater resources”, “Radiative forcing”, “Human health”, “Floods”, “CO2 emissions”, “Human activities”… The objective is to link the cards together to highlight the causes and consequences of climate change. The workshops last 3 hours and are based on collective intelligence.
The first phase of “Reflection and linking of the cards” aims to create an understanding of the issues and a shared scientific diagnosis. After a gradual distribution of the cards, the participants reflect and discuss together and then draw on a fresco the causal links between the different cards, making the complexity and systemic nature of climate change visible.
The next phase is creative. Participants personalise or decorate their collage, an important phase in the learning process as it allows participants to take ownership of the work they have done, and to “freeze the knowledge”. By choosing a title for their collage, participants also begin to put into words how they feel about what they have just learned about the climate. Other activities can be added: a pitch or sketch, creation of slogans, competition between collages…
Following the completion of their collage, the participants are invited to share their feelings and welcome their emotions about the findings. “What have you discovered?” “Which “card” or piece of information made the biggest impression on you?” “How do you feel about the completion of your collage? ”
The final phase of “Debriefing and taking action” is an important part of the workshop, getting participants to project themselves into action. The sessions often end by opening the debate on individual and collective solutions to the climate crisis, the exchanges adapting to the level of awareness and commitment of the participants on environmental issues (from the implementation of waste sorting to degrowth, via the Carbonometer).
“Honestly, after discovering the causal links between all these phenomena, and understanding the urgency to act, I felt a lot of anxiety… But at the same time, as other participants also said, it makes me want to act, it boosts me. What can we do together? ” Margaux, 30, participant of the climate mural in Paris in August 2020, asked the group of “frescoers”.
Objective: 1 million people reached worldwide
As the fight against climate change is a global issue, the association “Climate Fresk”, created in 2018, aims to ensure the widest possible dissemination of the tool and therefore pursues its mission to raise awareness worldwide. The announced objective is to reach 1 million people worldwide. The game exists in 25 languages and the Climate Fresk is established in more than 40 countries.
International site: https://climatefresk.org/
Climate Fresk is a pedagogical tool that can be used independently by educational staff (teachers, professors, academics…), and integrated into many teaching units (science, economics, geopolitics, strategy…).
Climate Education Kick Off https://climatecollage.org/education/
How can I use Climate Fresk in practice?
1 – Take part in a Climate Fresk session
The workshops are organised daily for the general public, online and in person throughout France and the world. The work has been placed under a Creative Commons license for non-commercial use.
2 – Training in leading Climate Fresk sessions
No need to become an expert! 3 forms of training to choose from: Self-training – Classic Training – MOOC
3 – Lead
Once trained, lead these sessions freely, and exchange with the community of leaders to improve your skills.
More info: https://climatefresk.org/
