An Exciting New Era for Climate Fresk

 

🌍 An Exciting New Era for Climate Fresk

🚀 Sofonie Dala Finds Her Voice in Climate Education 🚀

Hey, remember us? 😊
You’re reading this because, like us, you see the climate crisis growing more urgent every day — and you refuse to stand still and do nothing.

Maybe you once joined a Climate Fresk workshop and felt that powerful jolt of awareness — the click that happens when science, emotion, and purpose collide. You told yourself:

“This experience has to be shared. I want to become a facilitator.”

That was exactly how it started for Sofonie Dala, a master’s student at the University of York, whose path to facilitation was anything but conventional — and all the more inspiring for it.

🎓 From Training Ground to Purpose: October 2024

In October 2024, a diverse and passionate group of master's students stepped into the Sustainability Clinic at the University of York. Their mission? To undergo intensive Climate Fresk training and emerge as empowered facilitators, ready to bring climate science to life in classrooms, communities, and beyond.

Among them was Sofonie Dala — the jack of all trades, bursting with energy, creativity, and a deep sense of purpose. But even after the training, Sofonie found herself asking:

“Where can I really make a difference?”

She didn’t have to wait long for the answer.

✨ A Serendipitous Turn: Volunteering with RAY

Sofonie’s next chapter began when she became an official attendee of RAY (Refugee Action York) — a vibrant community of resilience, hope, and cultural diversity. She signed up for volunteer training, ready to contribute in any way she could.

Then came the invitation that would change everything:

“Bring your creativity to the table.”

That table turned out to be “Morning Coffee with Refugees” — a weekly gathering at York St John University where stories were shared over warm mugs and new beginnings.

Here, Sofonie saw her opportunity:
To facilitate her very first Climate Fresk workshop.

🌱 Learning Together, Teaching Together

It was an uncertain start. Sofonie, a newly trained facilitator, was unsure how the workshop would land. Her participants — refugees from all walks of life — had varying levels of familiarity with climate issues. But there was a beautiful symmetry:
Everyone was learning together.

The table was soon covered with Climate Fresk cards — colorful, complex, interconnected. Curiosity sparked. Laughter echoed. Questions flew. The room filled with that unmistakable energy of discovery.

To Sofonie’s surprise, some attendees had once been chemistry teachers in their home countries. They stepped in to help explain the links — emissions, greenhouse gases, feedback loops — offering scientific insight that elevated the session to new heights.

It wasn’t just a workshop. It was a shared rebuilding of knowledge, a collective act of reclaiming identity and purposein a new land.

"The table used to be full — of learners, of stories, of cards. What an amazing experience."
— Sofonie Dala

🌟 A Fresh Chapter for Climate Fresk — And You

Sofonie’s story is a powerful reminder that the journey to climate action doesn’t have to start perfectly. It starts with courage, creativity, and showing up — even when you’re unsure.

Maybe your first workshop hasn't happened yet.
Maybe you're still searching for your “perfect niche.”
Or maybe, like Sofonie, you're one invitation away from stepping into something truly impactful.

🌈 Ready to Be Part of This Movement?

The Climate Fresk community is growing. We're entering an exciting new era — one fueled by diverse voices, unconventional facilitators, and spaces where learning is mutual.

You don’t have to be an expert. You just have to care — and take that first step.

🚀 Your Climate Fresk story is waiting to be written.

🌱 Conclusion

 Rooted in the SDGs

Sofonie Dala’s evolution from learner to facilitator is more than a personal transformation—it’s a living example of how individual initiative can align with global goals. Her work helps make the SDGs not just aspirational, but actionable. Here’s how her journey connects:

• SDG 4 – Quality Education: By becoming a facilitator and leading Climate Fresk workshops, Sofonie fosters climate literacy and enables others to understand complex systems.

• SDG 5 – Gender Equality: As a woman stepping into leadership in sustainability, Sofonie contributes to female representation in environmental education and decision‑making.

• SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities: Her engagement with refugees, neurodiverse communities, and individuals from different backgrounds ensures those often marginalised have access to environmental knowledge and empowerment.

• SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities: Her volunteer and community work (clean ups, enhancing local green spaces) help build inclusive, healthy, resilient communities.

• SDG 13 – Climate Action: The core of the Climate Fresk work, seagrass restoration, and planting seed bombs, all directly address mitigation, adaptation, and raising awareness.

• SDG 14 – Life Below Water: Initiatives like the seagrass workshops help protect aquatic environments and biodiversity.

• SDG 15 – Life on Land: Tree care, addressing plant pathogens, maintaining green spaces are all part of sustaining terrestrial ecosystems.

• SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals: Collaborating with NGOs, universities, volunteers, Chevening scholars, RAY, and local wildlife trusts shows the importance of partnerships in multiplying impact.

Sofonie Dala’s story reminds us that sustainable development isn’t just policy or theory—it’s built by people who learn, act, share, and uplift others. When each of us steps into our role—no matter how small—with courage and creativity, we move the world a bit closer to the SDGs by 2030.

References 

Dala, S. (2025, March 6). From learner to leader: Sparking collective action for our planet with Climate Fresk. Sofonie Green Mission. Retrieved from https://sofoniegreenmission.blogspot.com/2025/03/from‑learner‑to‑leader‑sparking.html?m=1 (Sofonie Green Mission)

Dala, S. (2025, March 19). Hybrid Sustainability Week Conference 2025: Empowering change for a greener future with Sofonie Dala. Sofonie Green Mission. Retrieved from https://sofoniegreenmission.blogspot.com/2025/03/hybrid-sustainability-week-conference.html (Sofonie Green Mission)

Dala, S. (2025, March 29). Empowering communities and celebrating diversity: A volunteering journey in Ouseburn Valley. Sofonie Green Mission. Retrieved from https://sofoniegreenmission.blogspot.com/2025/03/empowering-communities-and-celebrating.html (Sofonie Green Mission)

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