Pop-up museums and mini-golf: Educators explore innovative ways to improve environmental literacy

NEW YORK: Educators and political leaders are finding innovative ways to improve environmental education in learning institutions around the world, as the dangers of global warming become increasingly stark.

At the Climate Museum pop-up exhibition in downtown Manhattan, visitors immerse themselves in the climate crisis with interactive displays.

Curators are calling it the United States’ first museum dedicated to climate change.

They hope it will give visitors the knowledge, language and confidence to talk about global warming in a proactive and meaningful way.

“We have a climate silence in American culture and our goal is to accelerate climate dialogue, action, engagement and learning to break that silence,” said the museum’s director Miranda Massie.

“People come here, they have an emotional experience, they also learn something, and they take action. And then they carry that forward into the world, and tell other people about it.”

In the museum, intricate mosaics piece together threats to the planet, while colourful exhibits encourage locals and tourists alike to take action.

A central theme is disinformation about the scale of global warming, and who is responsible.

Ms Massie said individual actions have to be coupled with societal shifts, led by governments and the fossil fuel industry.