Fostering climate hopefulness: A synthesis study of climate emotions and the impacts of outdoor environmental education programs

Young people and educators are experiencing profound emotional responses to the climate crisis, ranging from anxiety and anger to hope and determination (Léger-Goodes, 2022; Brophy et al., 2022; Lewandowski et al., 2024). These emotions play an integral role in science learning environments, enabling learners to bring their full selves to meaning-making (Vea & Jaber, 2026), making them particularly important in climate change education. Climate hopefulness involves critical engagement with the realities of the climate crisis and its systemic causes, while maintaining belief in the possibility of building more just and equitable futures through collective action (Jadallah et al., 2025). Outdoor learning experiences may be well-positioned to foster such hopefulness through multiple pathways: reducing stress, inspiring awe, fostering connection to the natural world and enabling environmental action that fosters agency. Yet, there is limited understanding of how climate emotions and outdoor environmental education programs intersect in the research literature. Mapping climate emotions has been conducted by Pihkala and others, and research suggests that climate change education programs need to focus more on building a sense of hopefulness as well as promoting understanding of the issue (Li & Monroe, 2019). BSCS Science Learning, in partnership with NatureBridge and the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), is conducting this scoping review to understand the extent and nature of literature on climate emotions and their relationship to outdoor environmental education programs over a thirty-year period from 1995 to 2025. This period spans key U.S. climate change policy events that have shaped climate education and climate change awareness. The review will identify gaps in current research and surface critical insights and leverage points where changes to practice could improve outdoor educational programs towards climate hopefulness.