Ian Hunt first heard about climate change in sixth grade, sitting in class while learning about melting sea ice. He asked his teacher what was being done to stop it, and the answer—“Scientists are working on it”—didn’t quite land.
“It felt like a loss,” Hunt later said.
That moment didn’t fade. Years later, Hunt earned a master’s in Climate and Society from the Columbia Climate School in 2024, and he wrote a book called “Climate Action for Kids,” a science-based guide meant for young learners who are just starting to understand the scale of the problem. The book stretches across the basics—greenhouse gases, plus the messiness of energy, agriculture and land use—then adds the stuff that makes climate feel personal: disinformation and climate anxiety. His goal is to give kids a foundation for understanding the climate crisis, and, importantly, tools for joining the conversation.
What’s a little different is how he frames learning. After that early classroom experience, Hunt spent more than half a decade in hands-on climate work. That included planting trees, restoring habitats, and installing rainwater reuse systems. And, according to Hunt, those field experiences weren’t just “extra”—they were a way to learn that eventually pulled him toward the Climate School itself.
So in “Climate Action for Kids,” he wanted an experiential approach, not just facts on a page. The book proposes 10 impactful activities that readers can do with family, friends or teachers. One of them, “What Could Go Here?” is built around looking closely at a neighborhood. Kids are asked to explore locally—either in person or using Google Maps—to find a space that could be improved. Then they draw on solutions introduced in the book, like solar panels on roofs or in community gardens, while also using imagination to sketch out new possibilities.
“If middle graders can volunteer in their neighborhoods, collect information and see the effects firsthand, it’s life-changing,” Hunt said, adding that it also means they’re participating in an active scientific community.
Imagination isn’t treated as a cute add-on. Hunt argues it’s one of the most powerful tools children have. Young learners are naturally observant—so, if you take them to the same park over and over, noticing changes tied to heat or drought can spark the conversation they need. “They listen, watch and notice everything,” he said. “If you take them to a park year after year, and the area changes because of heat or drought, they’ll notice.” One small real-world detail sticks with the idea: you can almost hear it—the scrape of shoes on a dry path as the seasons shift. That kind of noticing, he suggests, is what climate education should encourage.
Climate science is also interdisciplinary, and that makes resources matter. Independent materials like Hunt’s book can help younger students engage in a way that feels doable. Hunt points out that while climate education is gradually being incorporated into state learning standards across parts of the U.S., it’s still relatively new and not implemented consistently.
Misryoum newsroom reporting highlights how the need shows up beyond one classroom. Luisa Mae Sarkar, a Brooklyn-based sixth grader—and daughter of State of the Planet editor Adrienne Day—put it bluntly: “We are the future,” she said, and if the world heats up too much, animals will lose their homes, and humans will too. That concern connects to global gaps as well. A 2021 UNESCO study across 100 countries found that fewer than 40 percent of teachers feel confident teaching the severity of climate change, only one-third feel prepared to explain its local impacts, and about 30 percent report lacking familiarity with appropriate pedagogical approaches. When teaching is that uncertain, educators hesitate—especially because climate topics can feel overwhelming and spread across disciplines.
Laurel Zaima-Sheehy, assistant director of K12 and continuing education at Columbia Climate School, described independent resources as “essential,” saying they provide accessible entry points into complex content and offer ready-to-use tools for instruction even when schedules are already demanding.
But for Hunt, accessibility is only one layer. He also wants to address how kids feel when they engage. The weight of climate change, he stressed, shouldn’t sit entirely on young shoulders. He said the reassurance for him is knowing he won’t meet everyone doing climate work—that he’s not alone in the effort. If readers come away with both a stronger understanding of the science and a sense of shared responsibility, he believes the book will have done what it’s meant to do: not leave young people in despair, but in possibility, with motivation to act.
“Climate Action for Kids” is Ian Hunt’s first book and will be released on April 7, 2026. It is part of a larger science series for middle-school students. Hunt is working on a second book, focused on climate change education for an adult audience that is scheduled to be released in spring 2027 with AdventureKEEN Publishing. More of Hunt’s climate writing can also be found on his Substack.
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