Climate Pioneer School: Strengthening Climate Literacy and Low-Carbon Action in Rural Primary Education

Abstract

Background: Climate literacy and actions should be developed from primary-school age, particularly in rural communities where educational and environmental vulnerabilities intersect. This community-service program evaluated the Climate Pioneer School implemented at SDN Kadusewu Kelas Jauh, Rumpin, Bogor, Indonesia, on 20-21 September 2024.
Aims: The primary objective of this activity was to strengthen climate literacy and environmental awareness among rural primary school students while encouraging practical pro-environmental behavior.
Methods: The intervention combined age-adjusted climate and carbon-footprint lessons, participatory games, tree planting, waste sorting, disaster-risk literacy, a collective environmental pledge, and provision of basic learning and sanitation facilities.
Result: The program reached 100 students in grades 1-6 and three teachers, while a descriptive endline survey involved 56 students in grades 3-6. Direct outputs included three symbolic tree plantings, distribution of 50 seedlings, and provision of three segregated waste bins. Aggregated positive responses to the intention to apply learning, material quality, learning media, and teaching methods ranged from 93.75% to 97.62%. In contrast, the recorded knowledge increase was only 0.85%, indicating that positive reactions did not automatically represent cognitive mastery. The discrepancy was interpreted in relation to the two-day duration, heterogeneous age groups, reading ability, and the absence of standardized age-differentiated pre- and post-tests. The program enhanced student engagement and strengthened students’ readiness to adopt environmentally responsible behaviors. The program successfully but sustained outcomes require repeated teacher-led activities, child-friendly assessment, behavior observation, seedling and waste monitoring, and integration into whole-school routines. The core implementation model integrates climate literacy, participatory learning, practical low-carbon actions, and school-based follow-up while allowing adaptation to local needs and capacities.