When University of Tokyo students joined the Climate Fresk for the first time in September 2023, they didn’t expect it to grow into a full-fledged movement. Yet, under the leadership of the Green Transition Student Network (GXSN) and spearheaded by student Mahi, now a member of Ichigo Bloom, the Fresk has since become a powerful tool for climate awareness across the campus and beyond.
From a first workshop to a campus-wide initiative
The story began during LCOY Japan 2023, an official youth event linked to the UN Climate Conference (COP). Hosted that year at multiple venues in Tokyo, the four-day event brought together students and young professionals to exchange ideas on climate action.
At UTokyo’s Komaba Campus, participants experienced the Climate Fresk for the first time. For Mahi, then in her fourth year of environmental sciences, it was eye-opening:
“I loved the workshop, and was surprised at how many new things I learnt even though I had been studying environmental sciences for 4 years,” she recalls. “As a student, it can be intimidating to educate others about a topic as complex as climate change, so having a well-designed, science-based, globally-renowned tool like Climate Fresk is great to have in your back pocket.”
Inspired, she trained as a facilitator the following month, and began organizing sessions with UTokyo GXSN.
Impact on campus
Since then, GXSN has hosted 13 Climate Fresk workshops with nearly 250 participants, plus 4 facilitator trainings that equipped more than 20 students. Other sustainability workshops, including Planetary Boundaries Fresco and Biodiversity Collage, have also reached dozens of students.
Challenges and successes
Like many grassroots initiatives, building an audience has been the toughest part:
“The biggest challenge is always about getting more participants to come to the workshops, and trying to reach new audiences,” Mahi explains. “Finding promotional partner organizations has worked best. That’s how we managed to get 160 sign-ups for the Giant Climate Fresk at AlterCOP 29 last year.”
But the rewards have been just as significant:
“My biggest satisfaction is hearing participants share how much they enjoyed the workshop, and seeing them get excited about getting trained or organizing workshops for their own community.”
Beyond UTokyo
GXSN has also shared the Climate Fresk with other campuses, from Sustainability Week in 2024 (a joint effort with TUAT, Ochanomizu, and Tsukuba universities) to workshops at Koishikawa High School and the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. Each step has extended the ripple effect of student-led climate education.
A message for other universities
For Mahi, the takeaway is simple:
“Climate Fresk, and other workshops like it, are some of the best tools for climate education. They’d be a perfect addition to orientation week to welcome new students.”
At Ichigo Bloom, we are proud to see one of our members leading such an impactful initiative. Student-driven projects like GXSN’s not only enrich campus life but also create the next generation of climate leaders.
We encourage other universities and high schools in Japan to explore these formats. With our collective of experienced facilitators, we’re ready to support educators and students who want to bring the Climate Fresk, Planetary Boundaries Fresco, and other workshops to their institutions.
Ichigo Bloom offers climate and biodiversity collaborative workshops such as the Climate Fresk and the Biodiversity Collage, to raise awareness and ignite change within organizations in Japan.
