Climate Fresk: Gamifying the Learning Experience Around Climate Science
Making Climate Science Fun and Accessible Through Interactive Play
Hey CN fam!
Thanks to everyone who hung out with us at Old Flame Brewing Company on July 23rd for a fun and enlightening night of climate education and action! Our Climate Fresk workshop was a huge hit, with everyone diving into the complexities of climate change through a super engaging card game.
Led by our awesome facilitators, Kriti and Dorothy, we explored how different factors impact climate change. Through lively discussions and activities, our community left feeling inspired and equipped with tools and ideas to take climate action in their own unique ways.
⚙️ HOW-IT-WORKS
You Can’t Fix What You Don’t Understand
Every solution first demands a solid understanding of the problem. Once armed with a foundation of what's not working, you’re better equipped to take a systems-thinking approach to find a solution.
Simply put, that's the underlying principle behind the Climate Fresk.
In case you want a refresher OR if you missed out on the event, here’s a peek into how it all works:
Gathering Around the Table: Participants form small groups of 4-7 people. Each group is given a set of 42 cards broken down into 7 categories, each representing different elements and impacts of climate change.
Organizing the Cards: Over the first 1.5 hours, participants work collaboratively to arrange these cards in a cause-and-consequence order. This process translates dense IPCC reports into a visual and understandable sequence, illustrating how various factors interconnect and lead to climate change.
Reflecting on Learnings: After building their climate collage, groups spend 30 minutes reflecting on their findings. This time allows participants to process any complex emotions that may arise and discuss the broader implications of their new understanding.
Brainstorming Solutions: The final hour is dedicated to brainstorming actionable solutions. Participants come up with personalized strategies that they can integrate into their daily lives, making the knowledge they’ve gained both impactful and practical.
🧐 LET’S TAKE A DEEPER LOOK
Imagine your group is examining the relationship between industrial agriculture and climate change.
As you organize the cards, you uncover how the use of synthetic fertilizers increases nitrous oxide emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. You also see the link to soil degradation, which reduces the land's ability to sequester carbon. These connections highlight the broader impacts of our food production systems.
Inspired by these insights, your group brainstorms actionable solutions such as supporting regenerative agriculture practices, which restore soil health and reduce emissions. You might discuss advocating for policies that promote sustainable farming, reducing personal meat consumption, or starting a community garden that utilizes composting and natural fertilizers.
By breaking down complex climate data into digestible parts, the Climate Fresk empowers participants with a deeper understanding of the issues, laying a solid foundation for meaningful action.
Want to see it in action? Check out this video.
🤩 FRESK-OUT
Join the Action. There are More Fresking Opportunities.
Okay so you made it to the event, you loved it and you want more. Great! Or you missed this one, loved what you read and now the FOMO is getting the better of you. No sweat! Either way, we got you covered and more.
For starters, you can check out this Climate Fresk Event happening in August and even reach out to Kriti Murthy for future events.
If you want to learn more about the history of Climate Fresk, where else you catch it around the world, or want to become a facilitator yourself, check out the OG Climate Fresk website.
None of the above? Just hang in tight and keep an eye out on our LinkedIn page. Given the success of this one, we might soon do a round two.
A Shoutout to Our Climate Fresk Facilitators
Kriti Murthy and Dorothy Barnes are both active Climate Fresk facilitators who share a deep passion for climate change education while encouraging participants to take action.
Kriti is the founder of CocoBean Climate Literacy and also a founding director of the Guelph Climate Action Network. She spreads climate awareness through the Climate Fresk, by facilitating workshops and training new Freskers both professionally and within the community.
Dorothy has been focusing on educational institutions and community Fresks. She facilitates biweekly at The Olde Stone Cottage Pub, 3750 Kingston Rd, Scarborough.
Want to attend the next one? Reach out check out this page.
🤑 GIVEAWAY
We Love to Share a Good Discount with You!
For those of you who attended our last event, Earth to Table: Tasting the Future of Sustainable Food, you would remember Dihan Chandra, founder of The Spent Goods Company and Organic Lifestyle.
Thanks to him, Climate North readers get an exclusive discount code CLIMATENORTH to enjoy 15% off your online purchases until August 31, 2024 on inside.spentgoods.ca and organiclifestyle.com
Happy shopping and here's to savouring some delicious, sustainable goodies!
🗓️ AUGUST EVENT
We don’t know about you, but we’re staying in summer mode as long as we possibly can 😎.
We can’t wait to see you one more time before we head into fall. Stay tuned for the details of our next event and keep your eyes peeled on our LinkedIn page for more details!
🍉 Your support is as refreshing as a summer breeze! Let's soak up the sun and continue our journey toward a greener future. Catch you next month! 🌱
Rebeka (Becky) Romanovsky, Fab Barrillot, Chloe D'Agostini
Written by Tejas Shah
Supported by Julian Cheah