Teaching at the Edge: How Rural Schools Face the Climate Crisis – The Case of TEBAEV

This chapter analyzes how the Telebachillerato of the State of Veracruz (TEBAEV)—an educational model designed for rural and peri-urban areas in Veracruz, Mexico—addresses the climate emergency through a disruptive educational approach. TEBAEV operates in communities marked by high marginalization and environmental vulnerability, making it a key space for implementing Climate Change Education (CCE) that is situated, critical, and transformative. Based on a mixed-methods study involving 3698 teachers, the findings reveal that although there is a clear willingness to integrate environmental content, current practices are mostly limited to awareness-raising, lacking scientific depth and continuity in community-based projects. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of CCE, Critical Pedagogy, and Socioconstructivism, this study proposes an educational approach that not only transmits information but also fosters critical awareness, collective action, and the co-construction of local solutions. The chapter identifies structural barriers—such as limited infrastructure and insufficient teacher training—and proposes strategies to strengthen CCE: ongoing professional development, contextualized instructional materials, and inter-institutional partnerships. It concludes that TEBAEV could become a model of resilience and socio-environmental justice if it is consolidated as a space for situated learning that empowers young people and their communities to act in the face of climate change.