Climate Mental Health Network and National Environmental Education Foundation Release First Evidence-Based, Teacher-Tested Resources for Educators to Address Climate Emotions
Designed as part of multi-year pilot program with public school teachers focused on building emotional resilience for teachers and their students.
WASHINGTON, DC (March 26, 2025)—The Climate Mental Health Network and the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) are pleased to release the “Climate Emotions Toolkit for Educators,” the first evidence-based, teacher-tested resource designed to help middle school educators address climate change emotions in the classroom.
The project encompassed nationwide research, resource development, prototyping, revisions, and classroom piloting, culminating in the creation of the final Climate Emotions Toolkit, which officially launches today. The research that informed the toolkit is also now available.
“This pilot with the Climate Mental Health Network was the final step in a multi-year project focused on testing a set of resources that can help middle school teachers navigate their own emotions about climate change and better support the mental health and well-being of their students,” said Sara Espinoza, President and CEO of NEEF. “We are thrilled that every single one of the teachers participating in the 2024 nationwide pilot said they would recommend these tools to a colleague.”
Extreme weather isn’t just a headline—it’s disrupting lives across the country, with the past year being extraordinarily destructive throughout the US. A 2024 study published in The Lancet of 16,000 youth in all 50 states found that 85% are worried about climate change.
A 2024 pilot study by the Climate Mental Health Network and NEEF found that 83% of teachers said their school communities had been directly impacted by climate change, with students feeling the effects both directly and indirectly. Nearly all teachers (98%) observed emotional reactions from students in response to climate-related extreme weather but, before receiving our resources, only 10% said they felt well equipped to effectively respond to those emotions.
Larissa Dooley, PhD, a research psychologist and Director of Research and Programs for the Climate Mental Health Network, provided some insight into the research criteria. “We conducted a pilot in 2024 with 40 public middle school teachers in 25 states across the US, targeting every region: rural, suburban, and urban areas; coastal and interior states; and including some of the largest school systems in the country,” she said. “Gathering data across a wide variety of backgrounds provided valuable feedback that will help make the tool as useful as possible for teachers who live and teach in areas with varying degrees of climate vulnerability.”
The Climate Emotions Toolkit for Educators offers practical tools such as the Climate Emotions Wheel, effective teaching strategies, support materials, success stories, and guidance on channeling anxiety into action. Additionally, the toolkit offers 10 flexible student activities aligned with science standards that guide students in exploring climate emotions, personal action, and solutions through storytelling and reflection. To help educators manage their own climate emotions and confidently introduce the topic to students, the toolkit contains a section on Mindful Moments for Climate Curriculum Teachers, which features mindfulness tools such as guided breathing exercises, and reflective activities.
“This comprehensive intervention was informed by NEEF and Climate Mental Health Network’s nationwide research and provides teachers with ready-to-use resources that are easy to implement in the classroom across many subject areas,” said Megan Willig, Program Manager for Environmental Education at NEEF. “The toolkit is designed to offer support for teachers' own mental well-being while also helping them develop skills to confidently address their students' needs.”
KEY FINDINGS FROM THE INTERVENTION PILOT (2024):
- 100% of teachers would recommend the intervention to their peers.
- 99% of teachers indicated student engagement with the activities.
- 98% of teachers encountered an emotional response from students while teaching about climate change.
- 97.5% of teachers are worried about climate change.
- 83% of teachers said their school community had experienced an extreme weather event due to climate change.
- 10% of teachers felt well equipped to address student climate emotions BEFORE the pilot. At the END of the pilot, 77% felt prepared to respond.
REPORTS AND INTERVENTION: