Education and Climate Change: Synthesizing the Evidence to Guide Future Research

Schools are both vulnerable to climate change and uniquely positioned to be part of the solution. We conduct an integrative review of interdisciplinary research and data to better understand the bidirectional relationship between education systems and our changing climate. We identify and describe the challenges, opportunities, and areas for future research for five interrelated dimensions: (a) the effects of climate change on school infrastructure, budgets, and operations; (b) the effects of climate and environmental pressures on child development and students’ success in school; (c) the effects of education systems on the environment; (d) teaching climate science, nature-based education, traditional ecological knowledge, and career and technical education for jobs that advance sustainable practices; and (e) the role of schools in advancing community-wide efforts for resilience and sustainability.