An Introduction to“ Exploring Climate Literacy” by Hongliang Hu
Barbara Henderson and Megina Baker, Voices Executive Editors
Hongliang Hu invites us into her Toronto kindergarten, where the children are learning what it means to care for the Earth. Through recycling, composting, gardening, and inquiry-based projects, Hu inquires into how the children are beginning to understand climate change. A particularly interesting turn was when she heard the children describe the Earth as“ having a fever,” then used that metaphor to advance the project forward. The children took pride in actions that reduced waste and nurtured living systems. Hu’ s research demonstrates that climate literacy in early childhood is less about fear for the future and more about cultivating curiosity, empathy, and responsibility.
Hu’ s inquiry resonates deeply with Ben Mardell’ s recent reflections.“ What We Talk About Grows: The Critter Count” is included in this issue of Young Children. In another essay,“ The Terror and the Joy of This Work”( 2025), Mardell writes about the tension he has experienced in addressing climate change with children: The fear of inducing despair alongside the joy of discovering children’ s remarkable capacity for imagination and care. Mardell urges us to see children as collaborators and guides in shaping a more sustainable future. Hu embodies this spirit in her classroom, bringing joy to the work of grappling with the challenging reality of the Anthropocene.
Placed side by side, Hu’ s classroom research and Mardell’ s call to reimagine education remind us that children are not too young to engage meaningfully with the changing climate. Their voices, metaphors, and everyday actions may be among our most hopeful resources, and they show how early childhood classrooms can be spaces where climate literacy begins and new possibilities for the planet take root.
Reference
Mardell, B. 2025.“ The Terror and the Joy of This Work.” The Remake, March 15, 2025. theremake. org / the-terror-andthe-joy-of-this-work. wraps, snack packages, and food scraps.“ There’ s too much garbage,” one child says, after seeing the amount of trash generated.“ We need to help the Earth,” another adds. Children are soon brainstorming ways to create a more beautiful environment, laying the foundation for our class’ s development of climate literacy.
As a kindergarten educator, I emphasize playful, nature-based learning. As part of my work— both at Essex Junior and Senior Public School in Toronto, Canada, and as a member of our school board’ s environmental education action research team— I aim to educate young children about climate change, emphasizing that they can help combat it through their actions.
I am often asked,“ How do 4- and 5-year-old kindergartners understand such a complex topic? What can they do about it?” Early childhood educators often worry about inducing anxiety or a sense of helplessness in children when addressing global challenges like climate change( Beaver & Borgerding 2023). Additionally, the topic is an abstract, multifaceted issue that can be difficult for young children to grasp concretely.
I too was initially hesitant to introduce and discuss climate change in the kindergarten classroom. I feared that it might overwhelm children and disrupt the safe and nurturing learning environment we strive to cultivate. But through my participation in the action research team, which works in collaboration with the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, I was encouraged to carefully consider
Winter 2025 Young Children 75