The Bordeaux-Talence, Angers, Chambéry, and Cluny campuses have signed up for the second edition ofRentrée Climat, centered around the creation of aClimate Fresco, a fun, participatory activity for all students.
A game to raise students' awareness of climate issues
The aim of the "climate fresco" workshops is to raise students' awareness of climate change issues by explaining the complex scientific and political mechanisms at play in a simplified way. The "climate fresco" is based on 42 illustrated cards accompanied by explanatory texts and lasts three hours: two hours of establishing cause-and-effect relationships, 30 minutes of mapping, and 30 minutes of discussion. Kindness, listening, and empathy are at the heart of this game, in which each participant enriches the discussions with their personal contributions. Six participants, supervised by a facilitator, were tasked with identifying the cause-and-effect relationships linked to climate change. For example, what are the different causes of rising sea levels and what problems does this rise cause? At the end of the session, participants have a better understanding of the challenges of the current situation and possible futures in the context of +2°C, +3°C, etc. scenarios.
A first edition and positive feedback
In Bordeaux, 285 students in the PGE, Bachelor’s, and Master of Science programs participated in the initiative, and five Arts et Métiers facilitators Arts et Métiers staff and faculty members) led the workshops. In Angers, Arts et Métiers the first higher education institution in the region to have offered this educational tool to help 195 first-year students in the Grande Ecole Engineering Programme understand climate issues. Twelve facilitators were trained to support them and discuss their vision of the engineering profession with them, in an environment where young people’s environmental aspirations are growing stronger. In Chambéry, 65 students in the PGE, PIS, and Specialized Master’s programs have reflected—or will reflect—on the challenges and mechanisms of climate change. One instructor was trained in facilitation and found unexpected support from two students, who had already been trained in the process themselves!
Awareness of climate issues and what they will lead to in the short term is sometimes difficult and causes anger and sadness among participants at the end of the workshop. Nevertheless, feedback from students has been very positive.
This workshop is really interesting because we are directly involved, with good group dynamics. It's a great awareness-raising initiative that gives us a better understanding of climate issues and makes us want to make a difference and take action. We need to change our mindsets and habits and make concessions for this to have a positive impact. As engineers, we need to take these issues into account in the projects we carry out in our companies, particularly in industry.
