Implementing a Climate Change Programme for Scouting

Introduction

This workbook is a tool to help you to design and implement a climate change program in your Association. In it you’ll find a step-by-step guide with tips and guidelines based on the experience of other Associations.

Contents

I. Climate Change

• What is climate change?
• What will climate change look like?
• How will climate change affect you?
• What might you see a result of climate change?
• What contributes to climate change?
• How certain are we that climate change is happening?

II. How should Scouting respond to climate change?

• Preparing for Climate Change

III. How the South African climate change program was designed

SASA began the development of its program with a set of guiding principles:

Key principles guiding the development of the South African climate change program:

• It must be useful and appropriate to ALL youth members regardless of where they live or how many resources they have to work with;
• It must be FUN;
• It must meet practical needs of youth facing today, as well as what they may face under climate change;
• It must make some kind of tangible difference to climate change;
• It should contribute to, or build upon, other areas of existing programming;
• Should seek to change behaviour long-term;
• If possible, it should provide Scouts with an opportunity for community service or visibility.

Key principles guiding the delivery of the program:

• Program should be very simple to understand and deliver;
• It should have very few key messages (1-2 max);
• It must be delivered in a way that youth can self teach;
• It should be designed to be sustainable after launch;
• It must require very little instruction for leaders;
• It should provide a tangible personal reward;
• It should involve all member age groups;
• Ideally it would become a mandatory badge.

IV. Summary of themes in the South African climate change program

• Cub level
• Scoutcrat level
• Scout interest badge level

V. Launching your climate change program

• South African climate change program
• Tailoring the South African climate change program to meet your needs
• Who needs to be involved and how?
• How will the program be packaged and distributed?
• Testing the program
• Launching the program

VI. Implementing a climate change program

• Tools which could be used to guide implementation
• Communication and Concept Approval:
• Designing your program
• Budget

Sample Implementation Program

Apendices

• Appendix A - South African Pre-Questionnaire for Cubs
• South African Post-Questionnaire for Cubs
• Appendix B - South African Pre-Questionnaire for Scouts
• South African Post-Questionnaire for Scouts
• Climate Change - Adult Leader Feedback
• Appendix C - Extra sources of information on climate change