Environmental Education on Climate Change, a Task from Early Childhood

Abstract

This article results from the research project “Climate Change Adaptation Toolbox for Early Childhood in Montería, Córdoba,” which intended to devise a pedagogical strategy for early childhood to take ownership of critical concepts related to climate change at the local level. It was conducted through qualitative research with a participatory action research approach. The project comprised three phases where six didactic tools were built and implemented in workshops with education players represented by the Manuel Ruiz Álvarez School community and environmental authorities. Observation instruments, social cartography, interviews, and focus groups were used with this population. As a result, we obtained an environmental education strategy for climate change adaptation with an age focus. In short, strengthening the mainstreaming of environmental education and addressing climate change locally allows for territorial ownership and promotes identifying opportunities and threats in the face of new realities based on early childhood education. The process must continue with the training of teachers so that the strategy can be followed in the classroom without outsiders.