Education

In 2023 alone, millions of people were displaced or died due to extreme weather events. Women and girls in climate hotspots disproportionally suffer the effects of climate impacts, pushing more girls out of school and placing them at greater risk of child marriage, violence, and exploitation. Climate-related disasters disrupt the education of  40…, Making education systems climate-resilient: Global progress , Governments worldwide are taking action to make sure that children have access to climate education, that teachers are supported to teach about climate and sustainability, and that climate-related events do not disrupt children’s education. However, a rapid survey of UNICEF offices in 94 low- and middle-income countries shows inconsistent progress…, Young people: Not just victims but climate action leaders, Children and young people are investing their time and energy in taking climate action to make our world greener and more sustainable. Let us take inspiration from these children and young people who are championing our planet every day.  , Francisco Vera, Portrait of Francisco Vera, 14, UNICEF Youth Advocate from Colombia, made on 5 December 2023 during the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) at Expo City Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I am 14 years old, and I was born in Colombia. I live in Spain and I am an activist and defender of the human right to a healthy, clean, and dignified…, Tina, My name is Tina from Egypt, and if you're reading this, you're probably as eco-curious as I am! I am part of a youth collective. We wanted to do more than just catch people's attention. We wanted to change our mindsets. So, we brainstormed and launched "Us and Climate Change." The plan was to equip teachers to be climate mentors, giving them the…, Afroza, Afroza, Bangladesh I am an 18-year-old youth leader from Bangladesh. In our community people face a lot of problems like floods and storms, losing their homes and livelihoods. I am actively involved in youth development and community engagement. I collaborate with fellow youths to develop their skills and tackle pressing issues such as climate…

Ezekial Jacobs, a 33-year-old school teacher from Nigeria is no stranger to crisis. Civil armed conflict and violence has gripped Ezekial’s home in the North-East region since 2009, forcing more than 1 million children out of school , damaging over 400 schools and resulting in the deaths of over 2,295 teachers. With the region gradually recovering…

Climate change threatens the lives, health and well-being of children. They are the most vulnerable to its effects, and those who live in low-income communities are at particularly high risk of harm. To save and protect lives and prevent climate change’s worst impacts on children, we need to act now. There are clear, practical solutions that work…, Paving the way for a climate resilient education system in India, A group of students using polybags from waste and fill them with field soil to grow the saplings for school nursery  during environmental activities session at a school in Maharashtra, India India, 2023. Students use polybags from waste and fill them with field soil to grow saplings for their school nursery as part of an environmental activities…, Early detection of groundwater depletion in Madagascar, The semi-arid southern region of Madagascar has been hit hard by years of severe droughts, which has left more than 4.8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The region has the country’s lowest water supply coverage, which is further exacerbated by climate change. The lack of rainfall and other environmental factors have also affected…, Innovations in climate risk reduction in Venezuela, A boy, 10, collects safe water at the UNICEF-installed solar-powered water treatment plant in Venezuela Venezuela, 2023. Dahir Franco, 10,collects safe water at the UNICEF-installed solar-powered water treatment plant in San Francisco de Guayo, Venezuela. Disaster risk reduction is an essential element of responding to climate change as children…, Reducing the impact of greenhouse gas emissions from sanitation in Kampala, Uganda, Two masons construct a new pit latrine with a bathroom in a village in Uganda. Uganda, 2022. Two masons construct a new municipality-approved pit latrine with a bathroom, for a commercial structure in Mukono, Uganda. Climate change and sanitation are intrinsically connected. Poorly managed sanitation emits significant greenhouse gas (GHG)…

Months ago, I had the privilege of meeting a remarkable colleague named Steward Francis. Despite being in different time zones and thousands of miles apart, we connected via video chat. During our conversation, I was in awe as Steward shared his incredible journey from Yambio, South Sudan, to his current position as an education specialist with…

During COP26 in 2021, I remember seeing photos of thousands of youth climate activists outside the conference in Glasgow. Seeing young people like me mobilise to protect our planet was astonishing and inspired me. I was born in Maharashtra, the second most populous state in India, with a population of 118 million people. The state of Maharashtra…

With schools now reopened around the world, countries are called to take transformative action on education financing to recover and accelerate learning for all children, especially the poorest and most marginalized. Findings from our recent study, however, reveal that we have yet to overcome hurdles to equitable education financing: in far too…

I first met Von Shant Shan while visiting the Yangon School for Blinds, 30 minutes from Yangon's busy downtown area. Walking past the school building, I noticed several young children playing together in the schoolyard. Then, as I approached the classrooms, I saw Von Shant Shan, a young girl with a beautiful smile. She was sitting in the corner of…

Did you know that the power of computers has been doubling roughly every two years since the 1960s? Every day it seems there’s a new app or piece of tech that unlocks new and efficient ways to do things; to better engage with the world, or with learning. However, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the longstanding gender digital divide. Even though…

TAUNGGYI, Myanmar – Thae Thae Su Aung, 14, knows what she wants for her future. "I want to go to school, study hard and become a doctor my family can depend on," she says. "My sister and mother are frail and have chronic illnesses, so I want to help them." Yet, like many adolescents in Myanmar, Thae Thae Su Aung had to stop her learning first due…

We are all wired to play. From the moment we are born, play brings us joy and comfort, builds relationships and opens the door to learning. But importantly, during the first 1,000 days of life, a child’s brain is twice as active as an adult’s. And it’s clear when you see it – watching a young child play and learn is like watching a light turn on.…

Smiling is contagious and these happy children from around the world are sure to put a smile on your face! Find out what's been making them smile this year: Above: 13-month-old Jonaila from the Philippines is grinning from ear to ear the day before her first routine immunizations. UNICEF procures and distributes vaccines and other essential…

Last week at the United Nations’ Transforming Education Summit (TES) world leaders, education experts, and activists spotlighted the urgency to recover pre-pandemic and COVID-related learning losses and agreed to ensure children all over the world are given the building blocks they need to go on to thrive in school. We are confident that today’s…