A Journey of co-creation from Knowledge to Repeated Action in Climate Education

[Md. Shadman Islam]

What is the purpose of a curriculum? Is it merely to turn learners into passive recipients of information, or is it to empower them to become curious explorers and active contributors? Should it only aim to transfer facts and knowledge, or should it encourage learners to take meaningful actions and transform those actions into sustainable habits? These fundamental questions guided our critique of the existing curriculum, which often focuses heavily on rote memorization, detached information, and teacher-led instruction. While traditional curricula might address "what" students should know, they often miss the "why" and "how"—the deeper connection to lived experiences, community wisdom, and meaningful community led action.

Recognizing this gap, we set out to design a climate education contextual curriculum that is not only contextual and action-oriented, but also sustainable in spirit and practice. Co-created with school staff, Grow Your Reader Foundation (GYRF) office team, and Pahariapara community members, and drawing inspiration from UNESCO’s Greening Curriculum Guidance, this curriculum is enriched by the SALT-CLCP approach, ensuring that every voice is valued and that ownership is shared. Our framework facilitates the students to connect with their local environment, reflect on their community's strengths, and co-create solutions with their community that matter. This curriculum values lived knowledge, nurtures agency, and promotes ownership—transforming learning from an academic task into a lifelong, community-driven journey.

1. Why did we integrate SALT in the curriculum?

In the heart of our work at Grow Your Reader Foundation lies a belief in the strength and wisdom of the community. The SALT-CLCP approach has long guided our conversations, actions, and strategies. When we began envisioning a Climate Education Contextual Curriculum for the Pahariapara Agamir School, we felt that SALT had to be the foundation since we want to make it sustainable.

Why? Because education should not be just about transferring information—it is about transformation. It's about instilling a sense of ownership and responsibility in students, teachers, and community members alike. SALT fosters dialogue, mutual appreciation, and reflection. It shifts the narrative from “What’s wrong?” to “What strengths can we build on?” This mindset is essential if we want students and their communities to not only learn about the environment but to care for it deeply and act to protect it everyday—sustainably and joyfully.

Inspired by UNESCO’s Greening Curriculum Guidance: Teaching and Learning for Climate Action, we developed our initial framework where each learning outcome is not only about acquiring knowledge but also about taking actions. Usually what we see is that students take actions mostly to secure marks for their exams, which does not help to change their behavior or mindset. That’s why we integrated SALT by intentionally designing the curriculum to be people-centered, action-oriented, and reflective.  Co creating the solutions, Self-assessment, Knowledge Fair ensure that learning does not end in the classroom—it extends into homes and communities everyday.

2. The Development Process

The development of this curriculum was truly a collective effort—a process that reflected the very ethos of SALT.

We began by studying UNESCO’s guide, identifying its strengths in promoting action-focused learning. 

The model integrates the core structure and intent of UNESCO’s Greening Curriculum Guidance: Teaching and Learning for Climate Action, which advocates for a progression that links cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral learning outcomes.

We are not fully convinced by the word “action” alone. What we truly need is “repeated action”, as it helps individuals build lasting habits. With this in mind, we developed a draft framework that incorporates the SALT-CLCP approach to ensure the curriculum is not just informative, but transformative — providing everyone with opportunities to take repeated actions to save our Mother Earth. That’s why our proposed framework is circular (representing continuation), not linear.

Our framework emphasizes appreciating local strengths, active participation through deep listening, and community-led solutions. It begins by mobilizing learners and building a shared dream, encouraging them to reflect on their own experiences and the strengths within their community. As learners move through the stages—from Awareness to Repeated Action—they are guided to understand their environment, feel emotionally connected to climate issues, and take meaningful actions everyday.

Then came the co-creation:

• With GYRF office staff: The process began internally. Our team analyzed the UNESCO manual and reflected on embedding SALT. We brought insights from fieldwork and education to build a flexible but structured framework.

• With school staff: Then we sat with our teachers to review the draft. They helped rephrase outcomes for clarity, suggested relevant themes, and ensured the curriculum was aligned with students' and community’s realities.

• With community members: Finally, we hosted a group SALT conversation with community members, starting with stories of personal pride. This opened space for rich dialogue. They suggested ways to connect learning with real-life activities—visiting fields, growing vegetables, learning from elders etc—which we integrated into the curriculum.

3. Why is the curriculum contextual for the Pahariapara community?

Every part of the curriculum reflects the life and landscape of Pahariapara. The fruits, vegetables, and trees mentioned are local. The weather patterns studied are experienced by the children. Soil, water, and air are not abstract topics—they're daily realities.

The curriculum connects learners to their environment, helps them appreciate local strengths, and enables them to act as protectors of their home. This deep relevance leads to greater ownership and more sustainable behavior.

4. Personal reflection: The integration of SALT in curriculum and policy

This journey, the curriculum is yet to be completed, has been incredibly eye-opening. I’ve seen the potential of education to transform when grounded in people, place, and purpose. SALT hasn't just strengthened the curriculum—it has given it life.

When we build education systems that value lived experience, every learner becomes an explorer. Teachers become facilitators. Community members become co-educators and co-learners. This isn’t just a model for curriculum design—it’s a model for policy, for sustainability, for equity.

In a time of climate urgency, we need education that doesn’t just inform—it must inspire, connect, and mobilize. That’s what this curriculum aims to do. And that’s why it belongs to the people who live it.