In March, GEAI successfully delivered the Climate Action Days programme in Carrick-on-Shannon and Drumshanbo schools. This initiative, facilitated by our European Solidarity Corps (ESC) volunteers, aimed to raise awareness about the climate crisis while empowering students to take meaningful, collective action.
The programme was divided into three parts: two interactive classroom sessions followed by a field trip to Tommy Early’s Farm. Throughout the project, students explored the causes and consequences of climate change, reflected on their own environmental impact and worked collaboratively to develop innovative sustainability projects. The focus was on engagement and participation usign the teaching method of non-formal education. Rather than presenting climate change as a distant or abstract issue, the students were encouraged to connect it to their everyday lives.
1st Session – Understanding Climate change and our impact
The first session began with an icebreaker activity, followed by an introduction to the programme and the ESC volunteers.
After that the students participated in a true or false quiz, to make them more aware about topics such as fast fashion, food production, social media and transport. From there, the session moved into an deeper understanding about climate change, using visuals, short videos and real-life examples to explain what climate change is and why it is happening. The discussion highlighted the role of larger systems alongside individual responsibility, while also emphasising the influence young people have as consumers, voters and trend-setters.
The session concluded with a “Spectrum” activity, where students responded to a series of statements by positioning themselves along lines representing agreement, uncertainty or disagreement. This created space for dialogue and debate, allowing students to express their perspectives and engage with differing viewpoints while beginning to reflect on the impact of their everyday choices.
2nd Session – From awareness to action: project planning
The second session shifted the focus toward collaboration and practical solutions. Students were introduced to key sustainability themes such as fast fashion and its environmental impact, food production and consumption, social media and greenwashing and transport and everyday energy use.
Working in small groups, each team was tasked to design a realistic project addressing one of these topics.
The process was highly interactive and encouraged creativity, as students not only developed their project ideas but also explored how to communicate them effectively.Each group created visual and promotional elements such as slogans, hashtags, logos, and poster or social media concepts, alongside simple action plans outlining how their ideas could be implemented.
Some of the developed projects included: a seasonal food calendar for Ireland, an infographic explaining how to spot and avoid greenwashing, an informative poster about the damages of fast fashion, an advertisement about the problems of transport in Ireland and some possible solutions (like, for example, car-sharing).
The session was concluded with group presentations, where students shared their projects and engaged in a constructive feedback process. This exchange of ideas helped refine their concepts while reinforcing the importance of teamwork and collective action in addressing environmental challenges.
3rd session – Field Trip
The final session took learning beyond the classroom through a field trip to Tommy Early’s Farm. During this educational visit, students participated in a guided walk led by Tommy Early, where they explored local biodiversity and gained a deeper understanding of Ireland’s natural ecosystems, particularly the importance of boglands. This hands-on experience helped connect global environmental challenges to local landscapes, reinforcing the idea that climate action starts from individual responsibility.