Meet the Family: Climate Kids Academy Learning Characters
As climate and sustainability education continues to expand across school curricula, there is increasing recognition that how learning is presented plays a critical role in how well students engage with complex ideas. Climate change, environmental systems, and global citizenship can feel abstract or overwhelming, particularly for younger learners, unless they are introduced in ways that feel accessible and meaningful.
High-quality climate education, therefore, requires not only strong content, but thoughtful learning design that supports curiosity, emotional connection and progression over time.
At Climate Kids Academy, this principle has guided the introduction of our new learning characters; Luna the Fox and Ayann the Falcon, who support students as they move through climate and sustainability learning in an interactive, age-appropriate way.
Why Characters Support Effective Climate Learning
Educational research consistently shows that narrative, visual cues and familiar guides help learners make sense of complex information. In sustainability education, where concepts are often interconnected and systems-based, this support is particularly important.
Characters can:
Reduce cognitive load when introducing new ideas
Encourage curiosity and questioning
Create continuity across lessons and year groups
Support emotional engagement with environmental issues
Rather than simplifying learning, well-designed characters help learners navigate complexity with confidence, supporting both understanding and motivation.
Meet Luna and Ayann
Together, Luna and Ayann provide continuity and guidance across lessons, helping students feel supported as learning becomes more challenging over time.
How the Characters Are Embedded Into the Curriculum
The Climate Kids characters are not standalone mascots. They are embedded directly into lesson design across age groups and topics.
They are used to:
Introduce lesson questions and learning objectives
Guide students through activities and challenges
Prompt reflection and discussion
Support progression from understanding to application and action
This approach aligns with best practice in environmental education curriculum design, where consistency, scaffolding and learner engagement are essential.
Engagement, Confidence and Global Citizenship
By learning alongside familiar guides, students are encouraged to see climate learning as a journey rather than a series of disconnected topics. The characters help normalise questioning, problem-solving and uncertainty; all essential elements of real-world sustainability work.
This supports the development of skills central to global citizenship education, including empathy, responsibility and critical thinking. Students are encouraged to see themselves not just as learners, but as active participants in shaping a more sustainable future.
Supporting Learning Into the Future
The introduction of Luna the Fox and Ayann the Falcon reflects Climate Kids Academy’s commitment to thoughtful, research-informed climate education. By embedding characters into lesson design, the programme supports engagement, progression and confidence, while maintaining academic rigour and real-world relevance.
As schools continue to strengthen their climate and sustainability provision, approaches that combine strong content with effective pedagogy will be essential. Climate Kids Academy’s character-led learning design offers a practical way to support students in understanding complex environmental challenges and developing the skills needed to respond to them.