Fostering Critical Conciousness About the Climate Crisis Through Scouting: Exploring the Potential of Non-formal Education

A Schechtner

Abstract

This study explores the potential of the scout movement, the world's largest non-formal educational youth movement, in fostering critical consciousness about the climate crisis. Using a combination of semi-structured interviews and document analysis, this study examines the scout movement's approach to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), the understandings and perceptions of scouts about the climate crisis, and the impact of an international scout camp on these understandings and perceptions. A key finding suggests that a sense of unity and solidarity within the scout movement presents significant potential for fostering critical consciousness about the climate crisis. Further, alignments between the scout movement’s ethos and critical education ideas, including the value of nature, diversity within the movement, and intercultural dialogue, are shown as influencing scouts’ attitudes toward, and knowledge about, the climate crisis. However, the movement's strong focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its tendency for transmissive forms of education, pose challenges, as these tend to overlook the complexity of the climate crisis and fail to address underlying power structures. The study concludes that while the scout movement already contributes to fostering critical consciousness about the climate crisis, a stronger focus on dialogue and critical questioning of dominant structures could enhance the movement’s impact. The thesis calls for a deeper recognition of non-formal education in addressing global issues such as the climate crisis and contributes to discussions within the field of (critical) Education for Sustainable Development.

Relevance to scouting

Scouting already engage in climate education and action. This thesis argues for deeper dialogue, examining power structures, and nurturing youth agency toward systemic change—not just behavior. Scouting can integrate discussion, critical pedagogy, and power analysis into climate programme design. That helps youth not just act but understand, challenge, and transform systems.