On Tuesday, March 25, 2025 NEEF and the Climate Mental Health Network hosted a webinar to launch the first evidence-based, teacher-tested resources for middle school educators to address the emotional impacts of climate change.

This webinar recording will help you:

• Learn about the research behind the resources
• Hear from teachers who have used it and the team that created it

These resources were developed based on a three-year program of work, including a nationwide research study to understand the experiences and needs of middle school teachers and their students. Informed by that research, we developed a comprehensive set of resources to support both student and teacher mental health. A nationwide pilot confirmed its effectiveness, with middle school teachers across the US testing the resources in their classrooms.

Key findings from our research:

• 83% of teachers said their school community had been impacted by an extreme weather event.
• 98% of teachers said they have encountered emotional reactions from students when teaching about climate change.
• The majority of teachers felt unequipped to help students cope with the mental health impacts of climate disasters.

Teachers overwhelmingly recommend the resources we developed for addressing climate emotions—100% of teachers said they’d recommend the toolkit to a colleague.

Here’s what they’re saying:

• “The toolkit provided a wealth of valuable resources that made it highly effective for addressing both the cognitive and emotional challenges of teaching climate change.” (California teacher)
• “The activities got my students thinking about their emotions in a very productive and meaningful way.  They also made it easy to lead good discussions and help me understand each individual student better.”  (New Jersey teacher)
• “The lesson plans were aligned with our science standards. The activities were easy, short and effective.”  (Florida teacher)

Experts from both organizations presented key research findings and shared our evidence-based toolkit, which includes a teacher’s guide, 10 flexible student activities, and reflective practices to help students and teachers navigate climate emotions while building resilience.