Be.Eco Environmental Awareness Survey

Teachers and students feel responsible for shaping an ecological future. That’s according to an Environmental Awareness Survey conducted by the Digital University Foundation and the Deloitte Foundation as part of the Be.Eco program. Moreover, school communities believe that everyone has an impact on the world around us, but its effective protection will only be ensured by joint efforts.

School a bastion of green change

The Be.Eco survey shows that both students and teachers are aware of their key role in the fight against climate change. Most teachers (69 percent) and more than half of high school students (58 percent) believe in the power of individuals and the impact of their actions on the future of the planet. At the same time, teachers (57 percent) and technical and high school students (53 percent) are critical of the actions of governments and institutions, highlighting the need for a commitment to systemic action. At that, as much as 55 percent. teachers and more than a third of students see potential in local environmental activities. Moreover, all of the groups surveyed (62 percent) believe in an environmental transformation driven by big business and the power of youth activism. This shows the importance of cooperation in the context of combating climate change.

Stopping climate change, and the devastation of the environment, is not one big action, but a million small activities that collectively lead to it. It is best to start them from your own backyard, a nearby stream, forest, meadow or garden, which will give a sense of agency and a positive perspective. We all want our children, in their small daily actions, to feel that they can realistically change the world around them for the better, know how to do it and want to make an effort -. says Halina Frańczak, Member of the Board of Directors of the Deloitte Poland Foundation, Main Partner of the nationwide Be.Eco educational program.

Students and teachers: we need climate education

The Be.Eco National Environmental Awareness Survey [1] reveals students’ and teachers’ attitudes toward climate change. Knowing the sentiment of school communities is essential for designing tailor-made environmental education activities. The foundation checked how climate change is perceived, whether it worries survey participants, and who they think is responsible for it. They also investigated where the knowledge of ecology comes from, and while the first place belongs to social media, it is positively surprising that students explore this topic in lessons.

This is great news for us because it shows the demand for our program. This is because the core curriculum still lacks in-depth coverage of these important topics. We also learned what measures to support teaching staff in this area would be most welcome. This motivates us all the more strongly to continue to work hard and develop the Be.Eco program. says Ela Wojciechowska, president of the Digital University Foundation.

The third edition of the Be.Eco project is underway, in which teachers can enrich their knowledge in the area of ecology and climate to supplement the core curriculum with this socially important theme. The program, prepared by the Digital University Foundation, is aimed at elementary and secondary schools. Teachers benefit from online workshops and teaching materials.

[1] Be.Eco’s National Environmental Awareness Survey reveals students’ and teachers’ attitudes toward climate change. Knowing the mood of school communities is essential to designing environmental education activities, so the Digital University Foundation checked how climate change is perceived, whether it worries survey participants, and who they think is responsible for it. The survey included 267 teachers and more than a thousand elementary and secondary school students from across the country.

Be.Eco is the Digital University Foundation’s answer to the need for environmental and climate education at school. Its goal is to equip school communities with up-to-date, research-based knowledge and to shape the environmental awareness and attitudes of children and young people. Webinars and online workshops, lesson plans and other teaching materials await them, as well as the opportunity to obtain a Teacher/Teacher of the Future certificate presented along with a certificate of professional qualification. Read more about the program: https://beeco.edu.pl/