SCAPS 2023 Brings Schools Together for Climate Education, Innovation, and Action
The 1st Schools Climate Action Project Summit created an international platform for students, educators, and climate advocates to present projects, exchange ideas, and promote meaningful environmental action.
The 1st Schools Climate Action Project Summit (SCAPS 2023) was convened online on 22 November 2023 under the theme:
“Climate Change: Educating. Innovating. Empowering Climate Action.”
Hosted by Unida Christian Colleges in the Philippines, in collaboration with the EEP-Science Club, the summit brought together students, educators, guest speakers, and representatives from schools across participating countries.
The four-hour online programme was livestreamed through the UCC Channel and the DSBE Facebook Page, enabling a wider audience to follow the presentations and discussions.
Educating for Climate Action
SCAPS 2023 recognized that schools have an important responsibility in preparing young people to understand and respond to climate change.
Climate education must move beyond introducing environmental concepts. Students should also be given opportunities to examine real challenges, communicate their ideas, and participate in projects that can contribute to their schools and communities.
The summit created a space where environmental learning was connected with student participation, scientific inquiry, innovation, and practical action.
Featured Speakers
The programme featured Ms. Joy Rocamora, Research Associate of Coastal Cities at Risk in the Philippines and Research Specialist at the Ateneo Innovation Center.
Her participation brought an important research perspective to the summit, particularly in relation to climate risks, vulnerable communities, and the role of evidence in developing appropriate responses to environmental challenges.
Also featured was Mr. Jeremy De Leon, an award-winning inventor recognized through the James Dyson Award for developing the Make-roscope.
The Make-roscope is a portable keychain microscope that can transform the camera of a smartphone or tablet into a microscope. His innovation demonstrated how creative and accessible technologies can support scientific observation and encourage young people to explore the world around them.
The participation of the invited speakers highlighted the connection between research, education, technology, and practical innovation.
Schools Present Climate-Action Projects
A central component of SCAPS 2023 was the presentation of climate-action projects and environmental solutions developed by representatives from participating schools.
The presentations allowed students and educators to share how their institutions were responding to climate and sustainability concerns. The summit provided a platform for these projects to be communicated beyond individual classrooms and school communities.
By placing school initiatives at the centre of the programme, SCAPS 2023 recognized students and educators as active contributors to climate action rather than simply recipients of environmental information.
The event also encouraged participating schools to learn from one another and consider how ideas developed in one setting could inform action in another.
Innovation as a Pathway to Action
Innovation was one of the summit’s central themes.
SCAPS 2023 emphasized that young people can contribute to environmental solutions through investigation, creativity, scientific thinking, and problem-solving. Innovation does not always require large-scale technology or extensive resources. It can also begin with carefully observing a local problem and developing a practical response.
By showcasing research, inventions, and school climate-action projects, the summit demonstrated how education can help students transform environmental concerns into ideas and possible solutions.
Empowering Young People
The final part of the summit included a panel discussion involving Mr. Joshua Vidal, then Principal Investigator of the Academic Observatory Project, DS-BE Fellow, Founder of the Science and Technology Discourse-Coalition, and a member of the MYP Integrated Science Faculty at Tzu Chi School.
The discussion provided an opportunity to reflect on the presentations and reinforce the importance of empowering students to participate in climate-related conversations and initiatives.
The summit recognized that meaningful youth participation requires more than inviting students to attend an environmental programme. Young people must also be given opportunities to speak, present their work, ask questions, develop solutions, and engage with educators and professionals.
The Significance of SCAPS 2023
SCAPS 2023 brought together three interconnected dimensions of school climate action:
Educating
Helping students understand climate change and its environmental and social consequences.
Innovating
Encouraging students and educators to investigate challenges and develop creative, evidence-informed solutions.
Empowering
Providing young people with a platform to present their ideas, participate in discussions, and become active contributors to climate action.
Through these dimensions, the summit demonstrated that schools can become important spaces for developing environmental responsibility, scientific curiosity, creativity, and student leadership.
The event also highlighted the value of collaboration among schools, educators, researchers, innovators, and student organizations. Such collaboration can expand learning beyond individual classrooms and create opportunities for ideas and practices to be shared across communities.
A Platform for Student Climate Action
The 1st Schools Climate Action Project Summit provided a dedicated platform for school-based environmental projects and student-led ideas.
Its central message was clear: climate education becomes more meaningful when students are encouraged to apply what they learn, explore possible solutions, and communicate their work to others.
Through SCAPS 2023, participating students and schools contributed to a wider conversation about how education, innovation, and youth empowerment can support climate action.
GSCRAN 