The Erasmus+ RISE UP project (2024–2027), of which the Universidad Europea del Atlántico (European University of the Atlantic, UNEATLANTICO) participates, has presented the “Faculty Toolbox for Transformative Climate Resilience,” a new resource aimed at higher education professionals that seeks to integrate emotional, psychological, and social dimensions into education on climate change and sustainable development.
The tool provides practical resources and theoretical foundations to support students in dealing with the emotional responses associated with the climate crisis. The tool is organized into eight thematic modules: ecopsychology; crisis management and behavioral mechanisms; eco-grief and eco-guilt; positive psychology; creative action and therapeutic arts; mindfulness and sustainable living; cognitive-behavioral strategies for coping with climate anxiety; and climate narratives and storytelling. The resource is available in Spanish at this link.
Each module combines a conceptual introduction with practical applications that can be adapted to different educational contexts, as well as guidelines for reflection and discussion. The activities can be carried out in the classroom, in workshops, or in virtual environments, and are designed to allow faculty to select those that best suit their students’ developmental level, subject area, and characteristics.
These resources position faculty not as therapists but as emotionally attuned facilitators who are capable of recognizing the psychological dimensions of learning and creating environments conducive to both cognitive and emotional growth.
The development of these resources has drawn on two other outputs from the same project: a GreenComp Framework Adapted for Young Adults, which incorporates the psychological and emotional dimensions of climate learning, and a Policy Report with recommendations for integrating climate resilience into curricula and training.
About the RISE UP Project
The RISE UP Project addresses an emerging need in higher education: the integration of emotional resilience and psychological literacy into climate education. The main objective of the project is to strengthen the capacity of higher education professionals to recognize, manage, and work through the emotional responses associated with climate awareness—such as grief, helplessness, or guilt—while promoting adaptive coping and prosocial engagement.
RISE UP is made possible thanks to the collaboration of six institutions: ACEEU and The Vision Works in Germany, People of 2050 in Denmark, the Universidad Europea del Atlántico in Spain, SYNTHESIS Center for Research and Education in Cyprus, and the University of National Education Commission (UKEN) in Poland.
To stay up to date, check out the project website and LinkedIn profile.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or NA DAAD. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. RISE UP – Resilience, Innovation, and University Student Empowerment through reflective Climate Education and Action (Nr. 2024-1-DE01-KA220-HED-000246800)