As part of our vision to be a lighthouse school for sustainability, IGS has introduced Climate Fresk workshops to both our students and staff. In fact, on Monday 29 April 2024, IGS hosted Australia’s largest Climate Fresk!
Presented as a workshop for our Term 2 Staff Professional Development Day, this Fresk was facilitated by a dedicated team of volunteers and IGS students. It was a great opportunity for our staff to learn more about climate change and be inspired with positive ideas and greater insight. Our students, who gave up the last day of their school holidays to participate, enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to “teach the teachers” and had a great day.
Throughout the interactive and fun process, we all learnt more about the factors influencing climate change and what we can do about it.
Special thanks to Mylène Turban and Laure Legros from Climate Fresk, and Mr Fedele for all the effort he put into this workshop together with all the student and volunteer facilitators.
ABOUT CLIMATE FRESK
Climate Fresk is a 3-hour workshop built around a 42 cards game that aims to make learning about climate change accessible to everyone. Using the cards, teams work together to find the cause-effect relationships between the different components of climate change, arranging the cards to create ‘The Fresk’ – a visual representation of climate change. Participants then work through various phases and discuss potential solutions.
Over 1.6 million people worldwide have participated in Climate Fresk.
Find out more about Climate Fresk at https://climatefresk.org/world/
WHY IS IGS PARTICIPATING IN CLIMATE FRESK?
Carmelo Fedele, Head of Sustainability, introduced Climate Fresk workshops to IGS because they utilise a collaborative approach to learning and are based on established scientific facts found in the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – the internationally accepted authority on climate change reports.
“Climate Fresk provides a reliable foundation for participants to comprehend the intricacies of climate change,” remarked Mr Fedele. He added, “They are not just informed; they are empowered to take meaningful action by understanding the driving forces behind climate change and collectively brainstorming solutions.”
Mr Carmelo Fedele shared “For me, Climate Fresk at International Grammar School represents a powerful initiative that not only educates but also inspires action. It’s about recognising the urgency of climate change and equipping individuals with the knowledge and motivation to make a difference in their own lives and communities.”
See how Climate Fresk has inspired and empowered IGS students here.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
- You can attend Climate Fresk workshops in Sydney on 15 May, 8 June or 12 June and share your experience on Linkedin tagging Climate Fresk Australia.
- Become a facilitator! You do not need to be an expert in climate to be a facilitator and there is also a version adapted for 10 to 14 year olds, register here.
- The IGS Sustainable Futures Club is a great way for IGS students to get involved with climate matters or share ideas with Mr Fedele and help create a more sustainable school.
WAYS TO BE MORE SUSTAINABLE AT HOME
As a role model
- Talk about it. Then talk about it some more. Watch this TEDTalk video about The most important thing you can do to fight climate change.
As an investor
- Donate to climate organisations. Groundswell is an amazing organisation that strategically funds the climate movement
- Switch your bank to fossil-free banking.
- Switch your super to fossil-free super.
As a consumer
- Calculate your carbon footprint and get personalised recommendations with the One Small Step App.
- Switch to a renewables-friendly electricity provider. See the Green Electricity Guide by Greenpeace here.
- Electrify your home with solar panels, gas cooktop or heat pump. Check out Rewire Australia.
- If you need a car, consider getting an EV (Good Car Co). And maybe ditch that second car for an e-bike (Lug & Carrie).
As a citizen
- Find a community group to get involved in Climate action starts here.
- See doughnut economics in action at Regen Sydney.