At the University of Reading, we believe that climate and sustainability education is everyone’s responsibility. This is why we’ve set out our vision that all initial teacher trainees should be able to access training that empowers them to effectively incorporate climate education within their teaching – across all levels and subjects – as part of our National Climate Education Action Plan.
We have developed a Climate and Sustainability Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Framework for providers of teacher training to enable student teachers to develop their knowledge and understanding of the climate crisis. The Framework supports student teachers to graduate with a core set of skills to support young people to build resilience and become future change-makers in the climate and sustainability landscape.
The Framework is being piloted throughout 2022/23, after which the intention is that it be shared widely to support other training providers to deliver this important work.
Across all the ITE programmes at the University of Reading’s Institute of Education, students will learn about:
- what is happening to our climate, how to help children learn about climate and sustainability in an age-appropriate and accessible way, and how to develop their own positioning as teachers
- climate justice, the impact of current and future changes to our environment and climate on ourselves and others, and implications for teachers
- how to translate knowledge and theory into change and personal action through building climate and sustainability education into your planning, teaching, and children’s learning.