Image Reference: https://edtrust.org/blog/a-time-for-climate-action/
Around the world, schools are being pushed to evolve—not just in terms of technology or curriculum, but in what and how they teach. Two areas that are gaining weight in 2025 are climate resilience (education that helps students understand, adapt to, and mitigate climate risks) and financial literacy (skills for managing money, planning, and making wise financial decisions). These are no longer “extra” skills. They’re essential.
🌍 Climate Resilience in Education
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A recent EdWorking Paper finds that schools are simultaneously vulnerable to climate change (from extreme weather disrupting operations) and uniquely positioned to be part of the solution.
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Schools can reduce their environmental impact, adapt their infrastructure, support students and staff affected by climate change, and embed climate education into teaching across subjects.
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Teacher‐education programs (e.g., for geography, science, and environmental studies) are being revised to include socio-environmental issues and sustainability practices.
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Students are demanding it. In many places, climate change education is becoming mandatory or more emphasized—less about “if” and more about “how.”
💵 Financial Literacy: A Growing Imperative
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More than ever, surveys show young people/teenagers are underprepared for real‑world money challenges—budgeting, saving, credit, investing.
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In the U.S., the number of states requiring some form of financial literacy for high school graduation has increased. But gaps remain—many curricula are still inconsistent or limited in scope.
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Globally, adult financial literacy is low: many people lack confidence or understanding in basic economic concepts like inflation, interest, and risk diversification.
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Initiatives in locations like Bangladesh show that early education/youth programs help: introducing savings, investment basics, and prudent banking tools to young people yields measurable improvement.
🔗 Why These Fit Together
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Resilience & Security: Climate threats often impact economies and livelihoods. Understanding finances helps families prepare, adapt, and recover.
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Real‑life Skills: These are not hypothetical topics—they match what students will face: climate disasters affecting schooling, or economic stress.
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Empowerment: Teaching climate awareness + financial skills gives students agency—able to make choices and act, not just learn abstract facts.
💡 What Should Schools / Educators Do
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Integrate climate resilience into multiple subjects — science, geography, economics, and ethics.
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Use hands-on, place-based projects (e.g., garden projects, tree planting, solar power demonstrations) so students can see actual environmental change.
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Offer financial literacy as part of required courses, not electives: budgeting, saving, understanding taxes, and debt.
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Partner with external organizations (banks, environmental NGOs) to bring realistic case studies or programs.
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Support teachers with training, resources, and curriculum materials so they feel confident teaching both climate and money topics.
🔍 Final Thought
2025 is a pivotal year: the environment is changing fast, and the economy is more unpredictable than ever. Schools that focus only on traditional academic knowledge risk leaving students unprepared for major challenges. But when climate resilience and financial literacy are woven into everyday learning, education becomes more relevant, more future‑ready, and more empowering.
Reference:
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/Kraft%20et%20al.%202025%20Education%20and%20Climate%20Change%20v2.pdf
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1537129/full
https://pact-for-skills.ec.europa.eu/community-resources/publications-and-documents/trends-shaping-education-2025_en
https://morganfranklinfoundation.org/current-state-of-financial-literacy/
https://coinlaw.io/financial-literacy-statistics/
https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/corporates/brac-bank-organises-financial-literacy-programmes-under-youth-festival-2025