Introducing our new film 'The Hardest Lesson' – and nine case studies showing what real-life Climate Courage in the classroom looks like.
“Many teachers I support don’t want to upset their pupils, and simply can’t afford the time and energy to open 'that can of worms'."
Louise Edgington, chartered Educational Psychologist.
We expect teachers to be the calm in the storm, yet they are often the ones feeling the full force of the gale.
For too long, the Department for Education has treated climate change as a box to be ticked – a set of facts to be memorised. But as any teacher knows, standing in front of a classroom of disillusioned, confused or even panicked young people is anything but straightforward. No educator can prepare a generation for a future they don't know how to talk about.
Today, we are launching The Hardest Lesson, a short film that dramatises the collision of scientific reality, professional duty, and human emotion in the modern classroom.
If this film resonates with you, we need your help to support the educators on the front lines. Please donate to and spread the word about our 2026 Crowdfunder, launched today to turn this internal noise into a movement for change.
|
The pioneers
Alongside the film, we are launching our new campaign website and a library of Climate Courage profiles.
While the film names the problem, these case studies show the solution. They feature the educators already weaving emotional resilience, systems thinking, and real-world adaptation into the heart of school life. These stories prove that when schools are honest about the climate, student wellbeing actually improves – because the adults are finally acknowledging what matters.
For the next few weeks, we’re temporarily upping the frequency of these newsletters to bring you a new Climate Courage profile each week. We’ll be going behind the scenes of these groundbreaking educators to show exactly how Climate Courage is being seeded on the ground.
Help us bridge the gap
To date, Climate Courage has been a lean, high-impact operation. In 2025, we operated on just £60,000 to build our strategy and produce this film. We have already secured half of our 2026 budget, but we need at least £30,000 more.
This is the bare minimum of "bridge" funding that allows us to move from a grassroots campaign and give us the stability we need to secure further funding and turn this into a national resource. Your support will allow us to deliver:
- A high-impact media push to get teacher and student voices into the national press.
- A digital directory connecting schools and teachers directly with mental health and adaptation experts.
- Fundraiser time to ensure we can untap the larger core funding needed to ensure that education’s evolution doesn’t miss the "inner dimensions" of the earth crisis.
Join us tomorrow
On Tuesday, January 27 we'll officially kick off this new phase at an online event. We’ll be joined by Caroline Lucas, climate and mental health researcher Jessica Newberry le Vay, and frontline teachers from our case studies to discuss what Climate Courage in the classroom actually looks like. 👉 Register here.
From our network: ways to get involved
Across our growing network, people are creating space for hope, action and connection. Here are a few upcoming opportunities and events you might want to be part of.
Come along to a confidential and non-judgmental space for educators to process their own emotions with respect to the climate and ecological crisis, in a community of teachers that ‘get it’.
Similar to a Climate Café, Climate Staffroom holds space for people to share their concerns and worries, without feedback or solutions. Unlike a Climate Café, Climate Staffroom invites participants to reflect on the particular challenges of climate and environmental education, and what has been helpful for you. Reserve a place here.
Read more on the ClimatEdPsych website here.
Along with the Ministry of Eco Education, NEU, UCU, Unison and the Campaign Against Climate Change, we are co-organising this one day event.
Join other educators, activists, politicians, business leaders, governors, parents and charities from across education spectrum to explore the role of educators in organising for a just transition and discuss questions including 'How can we teach difficult climate truths without overwhelming ourselves or our students?' and 'How can we stop greenwashing in education?'?
The event will culminate with the release of a co-created statement to share the learnings and outcomes of the day.
Join for a dynamic day of inspiration, collaboration, and practical action, bringing together national and regional experts in sustainability in education to help schools deliver on their climate action plans. Book your place here.
What we're reading
- The government's suppressed report on how global biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse threatens UK national security has just been published. News coverage here and the report itself can be found here.
- Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency's November report on Climate Change and Mental Health is also essential reading and didn't get anywhere near the attention it deserves. Look out for Climate Courage related case studies from our advisor Louise Edgington in the case study appendix.
- The e-version of Being a Therapist in a Time of Climate Breakdown is now free under a Creative Commons Licence. The book introduces readers to the known psychological aspects of climate change as a pressing global concern and explores how these insights connect to both current and future clinical practice.
Thanks again! Till next week, when you can meet one of the pioneering teachers already practising Climate Courage in the classroom.
Josephine
