Utrecht Summer School on Climate Change Education

The second HARP Summer School on Climate Change Education took place at the beginning of July, hosted by Utrecht University. The event was organised with great care and attention to detail, bringing together an international group of 21 early-career researchers from four different continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, and Nort America. 

Participants had the opportunity to attend inspiring keynote lectures on emotions in education, climate change emotions, coping strategies, and emotion-sensitive climate change education delivered by Wanda Sass, Michiel van Harskamp, Andrik Becht, Astrid Poorthuis, and Adwin Bosschaart. The programme also included workshops and mentoring groups, where participants received valuable feedback and reflections on their research projects. 

The summer school provided an excellent opportunity to connect with leading researchers in the field of climate change education, including Jelle Boeve-de Pauw, Bohuslav Binka, Christine Knippels, Adwin Bosschaart, Tim Favier, and Tim Immerzeel. 

One of the highlights of the week was the field trip. Travelling by public transport to the historic city of Gouda, we rented bicycles and tandems to explore the surrounding landscape the Dutch way. Along the way, we visited the lowest point in the Netherlands and nearby peatlands, learning how the Dutch have adapted—and continue to adapt—to living below sea level. The day was completed with a picnic lunch enjoyed together in the Dutch countryside. 

It was a pleasure to see how the HARP community is growing and creating space for meaningful dialogue on climate change education. Let’s keep in touch!