School Forests Against Climate Change (Future Forest Foundation)

The program "School Forests Against Climate Change" by the Zukunft Wald Foundation is aimed at general education schools and educational institutions in Lower Saxony and promotes education-oriented forest reforestation as a living classroom. Within the framework of this continuously open grant offering, the Foundation covers all costs for the planning, planting, and long-term care of school forests on an area of at least 0.5 hectares. The goal is to convey environmental education and climate protection in a practical manner by enabling participants to independently establish tree and shrub populations and use them as a sustainable learning environment. Teaching units on the digital learning platform, workshops, training sessions, and regular networking meetings support teachers in integrating inquiry-based learning and strengthening ecological action. The active engagement with biodiversity, energy efficiency, and resource conservation fosters personal skills and creates a multiplier effect within the school community and region.

Eligible for funding are institutions in Lower Saxony without specific prior knowledge, which demonstrate a motivated project group and a suitable area of at least 0.5 hectares. The Foundation’s full coverage of project costs (100% funding rate) includes not only the planting of trees and shrubs but also organizational coordination as well as the development and provision of supplementary teaching materials. The funding period extends over 360 months, ensuring long-term care of the school forests. Applications can be submitted at any time, allowing schools to flexibly enter project planning and contribute to climate protection. This program offers a unique opportunity to connect theory and practice of education for sustainable development and to empower children and young people as active environmental agents.