Last Monday, I was invited back to my alma mater, SMAK Kolese Santo Yusup Malang, to facilitate an online seminar on climate action.

Around 20 Grade 11 students joined. At the school, students have the freedom to choose subjects aligned with their interests. These students had chosen Geography, and their curiosity showed throughout the session.

We began by unpacking climate change as a global phenomenon, including its causes and impacts across the three pillars of sustainability: environment, society, and the economy. We then moved into an interactive quiz on practical actions students can take at school and at home, followed by a discussion of climate action initiatives currently practised in Japanese schools. One idea that sparked particular interest was a climate-friendly cooking competition. The teacher said that she was eager to implement the idea at the school.

At the end, students received an ongoing challenge: to propose and design school-based initiatives that contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation. Their proposals will be assessed using four criteria: specificity, feasibility, potential impact, and participation. Importantly, this work does not end with the seminar, it continues throughout the semester.

Reflecting on my own time at school around ten years ago, environmental issues were rarely discussed, if at all. However, seeing student engagement and enthusiasm that day gives me hope. They are agents of change, they are the future.

I am grateful for the opportunity and committed to continuing this work to support young people in building climate resilience.