Climate change is increasingly affecting children’s access to quality education worldwide. In schools across multiple regions – especially in tropical and low-income countries – extreme heat waves have emerged as a silent barrier, undermining concentration, academic performance, and the physical and emotional well-being of millions of students and teachers. To make this invisible crisis impossible to ignore, UNICEF set up an immersive installation called “Unlikely Greenhouse” at the Esplanada dos Ministérios, a landmark avenue in Brazil’s capital where federal ministries and major civic demonstrations are located.
The installation transformed a life-size, scenographic classroom into a literal greenhouse heated to 38°C (100°F), simulating the temperatures many children already face in real classrooms during heat waves. By allowing visitors to feel the discomfort caused by extreme heat, UNICEF sought to demonstrate how rising temperatures are reshaping the basic experience of attending school and to reinforce the urgent need for climate adaptation within educational systems.
The concept is simple yet powerful: in numerous regions, temperatures are rising to levels that make healthy learning virtually impossible. Under such conditions, schools resemble greenhouses more suitable for cultivating heat-resistant plants than for fostering educational activities.
“Children are disproportionately vulnerable to climate-related crises, including stronger and more frequent heat waves, storms, droughts, and floods. Excessive heat reduces children’s ability to concentrate and prevents both students and teachers from engaging meaningfully in learning. In addition, many children cannot even reach school when roads are flooded, rivers dry out, or school buildings are damaged or repurposed as emergency shelters”, says Mônica Dias Pinto, UNICEF Brazil’s Head of Education.
“The purpose of this installation is to draw public attention to the urgent need for governments to adapt schools to current climate conditions, relocate institutions situated in high-risk areas, and develop solutions that ensure children can access education even during extreme climate events,” she adds.
Beyond the physical experience, children who visited the greenhouse were invited to participate in educational activities about how climate change affects daily school life. The “Unlikely Greenhouse” project was conceived by Artplan, one of Brazil’s largest advertising agencies with 100% national capital, for UNICEF and produced in partnership with Genco, Brazilian audiovisual production company.
“‘Unlikely Greenhouse’ starts with a direct question: how can scientific data be transformed into an experience that generates instant understanding? Instead of relying solely on verbal communication, we proposed a tangible encounter, a classroom where people can physically feel the impact of a heat wave. This brings the issue closer to the public and helps build a debate grounded in evidence and real perception”, explain Pedro Rosas and Pedro Galdi, Creative Directors at Artplan.
Education and Climate Change
UNICEF data shows a measurable decline in academic performance as temperatures rise. In 2024, at least 242 million students in 85 countries saw their education disrupted by climate-related events. In the same year, extreme heat became the leading cause of school closures, affecting more than 118 million students in April alone.
Research indicates that every 0.5°C (41°F) increase in classroom temperature can reduce student performance by around 1%. At 35°C (95°F), students experience significantly lower productivity, increased fatigue, and greater difficulty concentrating compared to learning environments between 20°C and 25°C (68°F–77°F).
Today, one in three children worldwide experiences four to five heat waves per year on average. This means prolonged exposure to extreme conditions, such as temperatures above 35°C for more than 80 days a year, periods of heat lasting at least five consecutive days, or spikes of 2°C (35.6°F) above the local average for several weeks. If no action is taken, by 2050 nearly every child on Earth – around 2.2 billion – will face recurring heat waves.
