Sustainability in schools: New teaching materials from Misereor!

Sustainability in schools: New teaching materials from Misereor!

What moves the educational landscape in Germany? A current topic that has generated a lot of interest in recent weeks is sustainable education and teaching climate justice in schools. The main focus is on Misereor's “Climate & Justice Toolbox”, which provides extensive teaching materials for secondary school level II. These materials are suitable not only for general education schools, but also for vocational schools and offer various methodological approaches to implementing the topic.

A digital event is also offered in the training series “The 17 Sustainability Goals – Learning Snacks for Teachers”, which takes place in collaboration with various non-profit organizations. On December 4th, 2025, teachers can participate via Zoom from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The aim of these events is to make education for sustainable development (ESD) tangible. Those curious can find more information on the Misereor website at weltkirche.katholisch.de.

Advances in climate education

Another important player in this area is the Klimabildung e.V. association, which is actively committed to sustainable development and climate justice. The team works closely with teachers, pupils and students to develop innovative educational formats. The focus here is on conveying basic and practical knowledge about climate education and ESD. The approach goes beyond theoretical knowledge as the projects are implemented directly in schools, making a tangible contribution to tackling the climate crisis.

Klimabildung e.V. has currently made great progress and is among the top 7 at startsocial when it comes to club development and financial strategy. A new project entitled “Future Transformers” will start in June 2025, which aims to involve young multipliers from North Rhine-Westphalia and local youth groups to develop climate protection projects together. The annual report for 2024 offers a deep insight into the club's activities and shows the commitment to sustainable education. You can find out more about this on the Klimabildung e.V. website at climateeducation.org.

Schools as a changing force

At a time when awareness of climate challenges is growing, it is also up to our educational institutions to give face to the changes on the front lines of change. Whether through the materials from Misereor or the projects of Klimabildung e.V. - the initiatives offer valuable resources to actively and committedly involve students in the process of sustainable development.

Collaboration between schools, teachers and organizations remains essential to transform education together and equip future generations to face the challenges of the climate crisis. In this sense, it is time for all actors to have a good hand in making the educational landscape sustainable and promoting fruitful approaches.