The Climate Fresk is an innovative, collaborative workshop designed to raise awareness and educate people about climate change through a hands-on, interactive experience. Created in 2015 by Cédric Ringenbach, the Climate Fresk simplifies the complexities of climate science, helping participants understand the causes and effects of climate change in just a few hours. By using a science-based, visual approach, the workshop empowers individuals and groups to take meaningful action toward addressing the climate crisis.
How Does the Climate Fresk Work?
The Climate Fresk workshop uses a game-like format that allows participants to work together to build a large fresco (mural) that illustrates the causes, consequences, and interconnections of climate change. The workshop is based on information from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), ensuring that it reflects the latest scientific findings.
Here’s how the process unfolds:
- Group Collaboration: Participants are divided into small teams and given a set of cards representing different climate-related topics (such as greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, rising sea levels, biodiversity loss, etc.).
- Visualizing Connections: Working together, the team must place the cards in the correct order to show how one element influences or leads to another. For example, burning fossil fuels increases carbon dioxide levels, which leads to global warming.
- Building the Fresk: As the workshop progresses, the team gradually builds a complete visual representation (fresk) of the complex systems driving climate change. The process fosters collaboration, discussion, and learning.
- Reflection and Discussion: After completing the fresco, participants engage in discussions about their emotions, insights, and the broader implications of climate change. The facilitator encourages dialogue on individual and collective actions to mitigate climate change.
The entire workshop typically lasts about three hours and can be facilitated in-person or online, making it accessible to individuals, businesses, schools, and communities worldwide.
Why is the Climate Fresk Important?
The Climate Fresk workshop is crucial for raising awareness about climate change in a clear, approachable way. It breaks down complex climate science into digestible parts, enabling participants to see the big picture and understand how their actions contribute to the problem and solution.
Key benefits of the Climate Fresk include:
- Improved Climate Literacy: By explaining climate change in a visual, collaborative way, the workshop helps participants gain a deep understanding of climate issues, which is critical for informed decision-making.
- Engagement Through Collaboration: The group-based nature of the workshop promotes interaction, encouraging people to discuss their thoughts, emotions, and ideas for climate action.
- Empowerment and Action: The Climate Fresk aims to inspire participants to take meaningful action, whether by changing personal habits, influencing policy, or promoting sustainability within organizations.
- Suitable for All Audiences: The Climate Fresk is designed for anyone aged 15 and older, regardless of their prior knowledge of climate change. It is accessible to businesses, schools, governments, and NGOs, making it a flexible and powerful tool for climate education.
The Global Reach of the Climate Fresk
Since its creation, the Climate Fresk has grown rapidly and is now a global movement. The workshop has been conducted in over 50 countries and translated into more than 30 languages. Over 1 million people have participated in Climate Fresk workshops, making it one of the most widespread climate education tools in the world.
The Climate Fresk is an innovative, collaborative workshop designed to raise awareness and educate people about climate change through a hands-on, interactive experience. Created in 2015 by Cédric Ringenbach, the Climate Fresk simplifies the complexities of climate science, helping participants understand the causes and effects of climate change in just a few hours. By using a science-based, visual approach, the workshop empowers individuals and groups to take meaningful action toward addressing the climate crisis.
How Does the Climate Fresk Work?
The Climate Fresk workshop uses a game-like format that allows participants to work together to build a large fresco (mural) that illustrates the causes, consequences, and interconnections of climate change. The workshop is based on information from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), ensuring that it reflects the latest scientific findings.
Here’s how the process unfolds:
- Group Collaboration: Participants are divided into small teams and given a set of cards representing different climate-related topics (such as greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, rising sea levels, biodiversity loss, etc.).
- Visualizing Connections: Working together, the team must place the cards in the correct order to show how one element influences or leads to another. For example, burning fossil fuels increases carbon dioxide levels, which leads to global warming.
- Building the Fresk: As the workshop progresses, the team gradually builds a complete visual representation (fresk) of the complex systems driving climate change. The process fosters collaboration, discussion, and learning.
- Reflection and Discussion: After completing the fresco, participants engage in discussions about their emotions, insights, and the broader implications of climate change. The facilitator encourages dialogue on individual and collective actions to mitigate climate change.
The entire workshop typically lasts about three hours and can be facilitated in-person or online, making it accessible to individuals, businesses, schools, and communities worldwide.
Why is the Climate Fresk Important?
The Climate Fresk workshop is crucial for raising awareness about climate change in a clear, approachable way. It breaks down complex climate science into digestible parts, enabling participants to see the big picture and understand how their actions contribute to the problem and solution.
Key benefits of the Climate Fresk include:
- Improved Climate Literacy: By explaining climate change in a visual, collaborative way, the workshop helps participants gain a deep understanding of climate issues, which is critical for informed decision-making.
- Engagement Through Collaboration: The group-based nature of the workshop promotes interaction, encouraging people to discuss their thoughts, emotions, and ideas for climate action.
- Empowerment and Action: The Climate Fresk aims to inspire participants to take meaningful action, whether by changing personal habits, influencing policy, or promoting sustainability within organizations.
- Suitable for All Audiences: The Climate Fresk is designed for anyone aged 15 and older, regardless of their prior knowledge of climate change. It is accessible to businesses, schools, governments, and NGOs, making it a flexible and powerful tool for climate education.
The Global Reach of the Climate Fresk
Since its creation, the Climate Fresk has grown rapidly and is now a global movement. The workshop has been conducted in over 50 countries and translated into more than 30 languages. Over 1 million people have participated in Climate Fresk workshops, making it one of the most widespread climate education tools in the world.
The success of the Climate Fresk lies in its ability to reach diverse audiences, from students to corporate teams, and its focus on building a shared understanding of climate issues. It also helps create a community of climate-conscious individuals who are ready to take action.
Conclusion
The Climate Fresk is an effective and engaging tool for building awareness about climate change, encouraging collaboration, and inspiring climate action. By simplifying complex scientific concepts into a visual and interactive experience, the Climate Fresk makes it easier for participants to grasp the causes and impacts of climate change, empowering them to become part of the solution.
Whether you’re looking to educate yourself, your community, or your organization, the Climate Fresk offers a powerful way to learn and act on climate issues.
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