UNICEF’s hot house teaching

Created for UNICEF by Artplan/Rio, and produced by Genco, the immersive installation Unlikely Greenhouse, illustrates how extreme heat waves are threatening the learning of millions of young people globally. 

As environmental breakdown continues apace, it is the young who will inherit a broken Earth. Already climate change is affecting children’s safety, but also their access to education. In schools across multiple regions – especially in tropical and low-income countries – extreme heat waves undermine academic achievement. At 35°C students experience significantly lower productivity, increased fatigue, and greater difficulty concentrating compared to learning environments between 20°C and 25°C.

To highlight this invisible crisis, UNICEF set up the installation at Brasília’s Esplanada dos Ministérios, Brazil’s federal government district. The installation transformed a life-size classroom into a literal greenhouse heated to 38°C (100°F), simulating the temperatures many children already face in real classrooms during heat waves. 

Mônica Dias Pinto, UNICEF Brazil’s Head of Education stated: “Children are disproportionately vulnerable to climate-related crises such as heat waves, storms, droughts, and floods. Excessive heat 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. 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.” 

In 2024, at least 242 million students in 85 countries saw their education disrupted by climate-related events, with extreme heat being the leading cause of school closures.

If no action is taken, by 2050 nearly every child on Earth - around 2.2 billion - will face recurring heat waves.