I created this innovation because I grew up in Kaka Khel, a remote village in Lakki Marwat, where poverty, rigid social norms, and climate disasters shaped every part of life, especially for girls. In our community, education was often considered unnecessary for daughters, and when floods or heatwaves damaged schools, girls were the first to be pulled out while boys, like me, continued learning. My sisters’ dreams were cut short not because they lacked talent, but because the system around them never gave them a chance.
Those painful realities made me determined to change the story. Climate Class Connection was born from that determination, to transform schools into places where gender, geography, or poverty no longer decide a child’s future. Through this innovation, I aim to equip teachers, empower girls, and mobilize communities to turn classrooms into centers of climate resilience, justice, and equal opportunity, where every child, regardless of background, has the power to learn, lead, and thrive.
In practice, Climate Class Connection transforms ordinary schools into community resilience hubs. Teachers integrate climate science into daily lessons through project-based learning, students design flood awareness campaigns, build rain-harvesting models, and lead waste-reduction drives. Our Teacher Parliament unites educators to co-create adaptation plans and influence local policy, while girls and mothers lead Climate Baithaks and Kitchen Climate Labs, sharing knowledge and shaping solutions.
We also provide psychosocial support, WASH and MHM services, and remedial learning so children — especially girls — stay in school and thrive during crises. Through student-led Eco-Action Clubs, classrooms become spaces of innovation, leadership, and collective action, proving that resilience can be taught, practiced, and led from within communities.
Our innovation has grown organically from a grassroots effort into a movement. What began as a small pilot in 3 schools has now expanded to 300+ schools across Pakistan, reaching thousands of students, teachers, and families. This growth has been driven by strong partnerships with education departments, local governments, and civil society, as well as the demand from communities themselves who see the transformative power of climate-integrated education.
Our model’s low-cost, adaptable design, teacher-led curriculum, community engagement, and locally driven projects, has made it easy to replicate in diverse contexts. Recently, we took a major step forward by launching Climate Class Connection in Uganda, Africa, proving that our approach is not only scalable but globally relevant. Each new school, teacher, and community we engage brings us closer to reimagining education as a powerful tool for climate resilience and social change.
Our innovation has evolved significantly as we have learned from the communities we serve. What began as a climate education initiative focused on classroom learning has grown into a holistic resilience model. We expanded from lesson plans and teacher training to include WASH and menstrual hygiene services, psychosocial support, and accelerated learning programs, ensuring that children — especially girls — can continue learning during crises.
We also introduced the Teacher Parliament, a unique platform that connects educators across schools to co-create adaptation plans and influence local policies. Additionally, we created Climate Baithaks and Kitchen Climate Labs, centering women and mothers as leaders of household-level solutions and decision-making.
Each of these additions came directly from feedback on the ground, allowing us to make our approach more inclusive, gender-responsive, and impactful, turning schools into true hubs of climate resilience and community leadership.
I would love to start with one school and one committed teacher; small beginnings build big movements. I would: convene a short teacher circle to listen: ask how climate shocks affect attendance, learning, and daily life. Use our open toolkit (adaptable lesson plans and activity guides) to embed climate learning into the subjects teachers already teach.
Form a tiny Teacher Parliament (3–5 teachers) to co-design a simple school resilience plan, low-cost actions like rainwater harvesting, emergency kits, and a WASH/MHM check. I would invite students, prioritizing girls, to lead an Eco-Action Club and design one practical project (a garden, waste campaign, or remedial learning camp). Will run a single Climate Baithak or Kitchen Climate Lab for mothers and caregivers, so women’s knowledge shapes the plan, and to build household-level resilience.
I will keep it low-budget and document everything: attendance, learning gains, and community feedback. Share results with a local education officer to build credibility and scale.
I will start with humility, listen first, center girls and women, and prioritize ownership.
