An international challenge for children on climate change crisis

The issue of global warming is becoming ever more urgent with time and the lack of action being taken. The latest IPCC report leaves no room for doubt that global warming is manmade, we can’t afford to dig up any new oil or gas fields, we are not on target to keep rising temperatures to 1.5 degrees of warming.

During the Global Children’s Designathon (GCD) 2022 children (ages 8-12) learn about the main causes of the climate change crisis, science behind it and how it affects the planet and vulnerable people. The teachers and children are invited to reimagine and restore our relationship with the earth. By learning to restore ecosystems such as our cities, rivers and farmland and getting inspired as to new ways of co-existing with life on our planet. Ways in which we no longer exploit natural resources for short term use but start thinking of future generations and long term thriving of the planet and people.

The Global Children's Designathon (GCD) 2022 will take place from January 24 to April 9 2022, and is divided into four phases:

Stage 1 | Launch and workshops
The GCD 2022 will be launched on January 24 2022, the International Day of Education. In this stage, the registrations will be open for classrooms and after-school clubs globally. The teachers/facilitators will be provided with the workshop materials. [24 January to 21 March]

Stage 2 | Global Learning & Exchange Week
To give the participating classrooms an even richer experience, classrooms and after-school clubs can register for multiple online sessions during the Global Learning & Exchange Week. [14 to 18 March]

Stage 3 I Selection
During this stage each GCD host will select the 10 team finalists and invite them for the finale.
(Optional: Children who did the workshop before the Global Learning & Exchange Week and now want to adapt and re-submit their sketches/ideas can do this in this period too.) [Between 22 and 25 March]

Stage 4 I Finals
Chosen finalists are invited to the festive finals, where they will build prototypes and present them to a panel of experts, and an audience. [On 9th April]
(If your country doesn’t have a GCD host the in-person finale is, unfortunately, not possible. In that case, we will choose one finalist per country and invite them to present their ideas in an online session. Their ideas will receive a special mention on our website and communication channels, and will be included in our annual report ‘Global Voices of the Next Generation’.)

You are invited to sign in to the GCD platform.