Climate Defenders Workshop for pre-service teachers from Korea and Japan

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Last Updated (Wednesday, 03 July 2024 10:46)

Climate Defenders Workshop for pre-service teachers from Korea and Japan

Forty pre-service teachers from various universities from Korea and Japan and 15 teachers and embassy staff gathered at the APAY Jeju Conference Hall on 21 June 2024 for the second part of their trilateral teacher training on “English for a Cleaner Future”. One of the trilateral teacher training objectives was to help pre-service teachers develop teaching materials using their own country’s English language textbooks and practice integrating the teaching techniques into lessons using them. The program strengthened people-to-people ties between the U.S., Korea, and Japan and supported teacher development and learning about Sustainable Development Goals, underscoring the importance of combating climate change.

The first part of the trilateral teacher training, held in Fukuoka, Japan, focused on water crises, clean water, and marine environmental conservation. Participants also visited a desalination plant and learned about the process of making sea water drinkable.

The second part of the trilateral teacher training was held in Jeju, where APAY conducted a Climate Defenders Workshop introducing anthropogenic climate change concepts and the importance of personal contributions to stopping global warming. The workshop was designed to help the pre-service teachers understand that the current climate crisis is caused by human activities that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and, hence, the importance for teachers to teach students about global warming and work towards achieving the long-term goal of behavioural change among students to practice responsible and sustainable lifestyles. Before the workshop, participants were assigned to upcycle a plastic soda bottle. During the workshop, they designed creative climate action activities to use as teaching tools for their classrooms.


By Chan Beng Seng

Coordinator, Climate Defenders

Asia Pacific YMCA