Five years ago, in 2019, Anne Davies and Stephan Hügel began their journey into Ringsend Community College, a secondary school located in Dublin's East inner city. The area, uniquely positioned at the meeting point of the Liffey and Dodder rivers and Dublin Bay, faces increasing flood pressures as well as gentrification brought about by the redevelopment of the nearby Docklands.

Supported by funding from Science Foundation Ireland and a Marie Curie Award, Anne and Stephan set out to explore how they could engage local citizens on climate change using smart digital technologies. Ringsend has a long history with its watery surroundings, having once thrived as a fishing village known for its “Ringsend Ray” (stingray). However, in recent years, the area has seen more floods than fish.

The Initial Vision for Climate Smart

Anne’s original vision for Climate Smart was a face-to-face workshop designed for young people in their Transition Year of school, a critical period between Ireland's junior and senior educational cycles. This year emphasizes independent learning, helping students build self-confidence without the pressure of examinations.

The first workshop at Ringsend was a success, with Stephan designing a simple activity where students could locate their homes on a map and simulate flood scenarios for 2050. This sparked in-depth discussions on climate justice, citizenship, and future challenges. Buoyed by this engagement, Anne and Stephan saw the potential in serious games to transform the often dire discussions surrounding climate change into positive action.

Using insights from game designers, climate scientists, students, and policymakers, they developed a prototype for the iAdapt serious game. The game was tested at Ringsend Community College, but the onset of COVID-19 soon forced a shift in plans.

Pivoting Online During COVID

When the pandemic hit, the Climate Smart team pivoted to an online platform, a necessary adaptation during global lockdowns. This change provided an opportunity to scale their original project beyond Ringsend, allowing for wider engagement. However, moving online required additional materials to introduce basic climate change concepts and adapt the game to broader contexts. Thus, the Climate Smart Platform was born.

Expanding Climate Smart

The Climate Smart Platform was piloted in January 2022 with 10 Dublin schools, each representing diverse socio-economic areas. After revising the materials, the project expanded further in 2023, working with An Taisce’s Environmental Education Unit and developing content tailored to schools in Cork. The materials were also translated into Irish, ensuring the platform was accessible to Irish-language schools.

By summer 2024, 79 schools and over 3,000 students had completed the module, with many more engaging through gameplay and demonstration sessions. To increase flexibility and accessibility, Anne and her team are now developing two board games based on iAdapt and converting the online materials into a textbook, allowing teachers and students more options in how they learn, whether in-person or online, collectively or individually.

The Broader Impact

Although initially designed for students in Dublin and Cork, the Climate Smart module has reached schools across Ireland, proving its relevance to a wider audience. The program’s approach to teaching climate change adaptation is one that could be replicated in many areas facing similar challenges, particularly those dealing with the increased flood risks posed by climate change.

What is evident from Anne’s work is that both teachers and students urgently need more resources on climate change, particularly in adaptation. Developing the ability to act in response to climate change is crucial, and Anne is proud to be part of a growing movement to bring this education to life.

Read more...