Climate Change Education: Images from the Future The queue is long and the atmosphere festive outside the main entrance to the National Museum of Denmark early March 2009. As the doors open at 10.00 am, student from 15 of UNESCO’s Associated Schools start streaming in, heading directly for the assembly hall. They have approximately two hours to turn the room into a market place with 15 stalls, where they will be presenting their assumptions what the future might hold for their children 30 years from now. The 80 chosen students and teachers have gone through many preparations back in school before reaching the assembly hall at The National Museum. A class, a year, a department or an entire school have developed their own “images of the future” where climate development plays a part. The “images” have been presented to the parents, the local community and the press, and the most innovative have been chosen to represent the school at the National Museum. And there are many different images of the future: film, models, photos and role-playing are but some of the expressions the students have used. Her Royal Highness Princess Marie, the honorary guest of that day, remarks in her opening speech: “I am very excited to see your projects and hear which good ideas you might have that will affect climate development in a positive way. Maybe the politicians will be inspired by your work before the UN’s climate change conference in Copenhagen.” In any case, the students can take their own action: The best teams will participate in ASPnet’s international youth conference “Common Future”, organized by the Danish ASPnet in Copenhagen in March 2010. All participants will be asked to present research on climatic issues, develop future scenarios and develop proposals for possible actions, based on the principle of “situation-vision-action”. And maybe some of the possible solutions are easier than expected: Yes, classmates would be willing to ride a bicycle to produce energy for the school – “if they can watch their favorite video in the at the same time”, as explains one of the ASPnet students. Contact: Mr Skjoldborg Carsten, ASPnet National Coordinator of Denmark, carsten.skjoldborg@skolekom.dk Related links: ASPnet in Denmark “Images from the future” project Common Future climate project