In Lahti, Finland, a new educational initiative addresses the climate crisis through personal mentoring.
The Climate Mentor program, launched this autumn in the city's high schools, connects students with young climate professionals who guide them in discovering their capacity to drive environmental change. Rather than overwhelming young people with the scale of global warming, the course empowers them to take action and equips them with concrete tools to make meaningful impact.
Students work with mentors Anni Pokela and Sara Yrjönmäki — both members of a new generation of Finnish climate experts — alongside their classroom teachers. They learn climate science while actively practicing advocacy through opinion pieces and social media content. By the program's end, participants have tested various communication methods and identified which forms of climate action align with their strengths.
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Climate anxiety is real, particularly among younger demographics who will inherit an overheating planet. Lahti developed its course in response to concerns about young people's wellbeing, aiming to strengthen their faith in the future. The Climate Mentor program acknowledges that the crisis evokes difficult emotions, then channels those feelings into constructive action rather than paralysis.
As more young people struggle with environmental challenges that feel beyond their control, educational approaches that restore agency become essential. How could your brand help foster a generation capable not just of understanding climate change, but of responding to it?