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What is Take Action Global?
Take Action Global (TAG) is a leading non-profit organization committed to climate action and equitable educational learning opportunities for global educators and PreK-12 students. Since TAG was founded in 2017, we have served over 3,500,000 students and educators from 152 countries through our climate programs—the Climate Action Project, Climate Action Day, and Climate Action Schools.
How did Take Action Global get started?
TAG is a story of global connection. For more than 20 years, Dr. Jennifer Williams and Koen Timmers had been teaching and researching technology-enhanced learning, authoring several books, speaking at large conferences, and focusing on sustainability. Passionate about the Global Goals, Jennifer launched the #TeachSDGs community and the Goals Project. After having a Skype call with a Kenyan consultant, Koen started teaching refugee students through video calls and soon after invited other teachers to join the initiative he founded: the Kakuma Project. Separately, they had wondered: what if they could use their expertise and networks to launch global educational projects, allowing students and teachers not only to focus on issues but also to take action on those issues?
In 2018, they met in Brussels and joined forces, deciding to mobilize globally through climate education and student action, and Take Action Global (TAG) was born. In 2020, TAG officially became a 501(c)(3) to further meet the needs of this global moment. After successfully growing the Climate Action Project to support 3.5 million teachers and students in 2022, Jen and Koen launched Climate Action Schools, a whole-schools model network for climate action education.
Take Action Global’s programs for teaching climate education
A recent UNESCO survey concluded that, “while 95% of surveyed primary and secondary teachers felt that teaching climate change is important, less than 30% expressed a readiness to teach it.” Through the Climate Action Project, Climate Action Day, and Climate Action Schools, Take Action Global is bridging this readiness gap.
The Climate Action Project
The Climate Action Project is a free, 6-week learning experience designed for teachers and students ages 3-21 worldwide who are committed to taking action on climate change through project-based learning and virtual exchange. Teachers can sign up and join the project at all times and the topics throughout the weeks guide students through the cause and effects of climate change as well as how to take action.
The World Economic Forum designated the Climate Action Project as an Education 4.0 Lighthouse, one of 16 innovative public-private collaborations that are reimagining the childhood learning experience.
Schools participating in the Climate Action Project around the world.
Climate Action Day
Climate Action Day is TAG’s virtual yearly event celebrating student climate action. It is the culminating event of the Climate Action Project.
Event speakers include world leaders, leading climate scientists and researchers, international youth activists, and students and teachers showcasing their exemplar ideas, inventions, and initiatives. Featured speakers include: Dr. Jane Goodall, the former President of Finland Tarja Halonen, New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy, Her Royal Highness Princess Esmeralda of Belgium, and HRH Prince William.
Climate Action Schools
In 2022, TAG launched Climate Action Schools with 100 founding schools from 26 countries. The fee-based, school-wide model focuses on teachers across all subject areas receiving resources and customized professional development and support for virtual exchange experiences with their students. Over the course of the project, participants explore the causes and effects of climate change, develop solutions, and take action as a school community. Classrooms engage in class-to-class and school-to-school virtual exchange through use of technology for development of global competencies including research and inquiry, communication, perspective taking, and stewardship. The program features:
- 10-month, school-wide climate action education
- Certifications for educators & schools
- Community of Practice for educators
- Guided schoolwide data collection
- School-to-school virtual exchanges
- Student-designed and led climate project
- EarthProject App
Through these programs, TAG supports teachers to align instructional practices with content standards from across the curriculum. Take Action Global partners with parents, students, advocates, researchers, and policymakers to ensure schools have what they need to provide rigorous and joyful learning opportunities to all students around the idea of collective action. We’ve seen that a strong curriculum in the hands of well-trained and supported teachers has the potential to be transformative for students at any age or ability, harkening to our mission of climate education for all. As a WEF Education 4.0 Lighthouse, TAG programs reflect the eight transformations for learning content and delivery in primary and secondary education to better prepare the next generation for the future of work and societies.
Who is a part of the Take Action Global community?
Our TAG community is made up of the students and teachers who participate in the Take Action Project, our partners who support our mission and our staff that broadens the reach of TAG to as many parts of the world.
Dr. Janet Fike, Superintendent of Schools, Morris-Union Jointure Commission, New Jersey
“Knowledge, Purpose, and Relationships…These are the meaningful elements of a successful education as well as life. As a founding school district of Climate Action Schools, our students are gaining essential knowledge of how climate is the basis for life; how to work purposefully to create means of saving and creating resources; and how to form relationships with students from all over the world”.
Koen Timmers, Co-founder, Co-Executive Director, Take Action Global, Climate Action Schools
Climate education has an important role to tackle climate change on a global scale. It informs students, takes away climate anxiety, and brings important skills to a classroom including empathy, creativity, and problem-solving.
Grade 9 Student Ernests, Heritage International School, Moldova
Climate change is happening. This debate is over. When Earth will finally give up, we will know how important it was to us. But I have a dream – in 100 years Earth is green, and we thrive on this magnificent planet of ours. The ‘stop’ button is still here. Learn how to click it while you can.
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