Join our Climate Conscious Careers Campaign now!
Join our Climate Conscious Careers Campaign now!
The Department for Education has stated that 'All educational settings in the UK must have a climate action plan and sustainability lead by 2025' and we're making that happen! Through our climate consultancy programme schools can reduce their impact on the environment and their costs, increase their awareness and sustainability skills, bring climate action into the classroom, empower youth voice and support their students climate education and career development.
The first step in this process is a Climate Audit to access where your school is on its sustainability journey. We will interview students, teaching staff, maintenance staff and senior leadership to discuss what your school is already doing and how it can improve by looking at the drivers, pressures, states, impacts and potential responses to climate change in relation to your school. We will look at 6 key areas, energy efficiency, water management, waste management, transport, biodiversity and green spaces and climate learning and initiatives. The results of this audit will support the creation of your tailor made Climate Action Plan
The second step in this process is getting students, and staff, excited and educated on key climate issues and potential solutions. This is done through a series of interactive Climate Workshops on important topics such as: Biodiversity and Agriculture, Climate Action and Art, Renewable Energy, Climate Action and Mental health and Business and Social Responsibility. These workshops will give students a better understanding of how Climate Change affects them and potential solutions/coping methods, why action and activism are important and help reduce eco-anxiety by improving the flow of information, creating sustainable solutions and coping methods.
The third step is creating a Youth Climate Council in your school to give students a voice and autonomy over climate solutions.
The students in the club (overseen by a sustainability/green lead teacher) will act as both a youth advisory board or school council for environmental issues and concerns within school policy and events as well as an independent body that creates and supports green initiatives (the implementation of climate solutions) within the school. This may include organising and planning events, implementing green initiatives (book swaps, litter picking etc) and fundraising for Solutions (e.g. solar panel installation).
The fourth step is advising students on Climate Careers. Careers, post-16 prospects and UCAS applications are a massive part of education from ages 15-19 and as the employment sector moves forward with sustainability-centred development, so should career advice for young people.
We can advise students, connect them with our network of charities, businesses and policymakers for first-hand insights and work-experience opportunities and run Climate Careers fayres to highlight the broad range of careers that Climate Action can be embedded into. We can also run other events such as climate expert panels, conferences, STEM events and pitch competitions to give young people more options and experience when it comes to Climate Careers.
Through our Climate Audits, we can identify key areas to focus on to reduce your school’s environmental impact and reduce costs.
We can identify, help fundraise for and implement potential Climate Solutions, from greenspaces and allotments to solar panels and energy-efficient heating and cooling systems.
This is mainly run by the Youth Climate Council but we can connect schools to specific providers, help run fundraising events and apply for grants to cover the cost of implementing these Climate Solutions.
Using the Climate Audit, we can co-create Climate Action Plans for the next 3 years with the help of your students and staff. This is part of the Department for Education’s Policy that ‘all educational settings must have a Climate Action Plan and Sustainability lead by 2025).
By using the Issue Map we created and discussing what your school’s goals for the next five years should be, we can create a 3-year plan of Climate Action initiatives, workshops, lesson plans (for science, geography, art, drama, business, and economics within the curriculum), Climate Audit Reviews, careers events, fundraising events and implementation of climate solutions.
Developing a climate action plan is a huge daunting task for teachers whose work already stretches so far beyond the classroom. At Youth Climate Solutions we want to alleviate this stress from teachers, whilst also empowering students and reducing their eco-anxiety.
Our approach covers all bases, makes sure everyone's voices are heard, prioritises low cost and low impact solutions, uses expert knowledge and helps students and their schools take their next steps towards a more sustainable future.
Use our chat button to send us a message or email jazbrook@youthclimatesolutions.org.uk
Remember to include your name, school and what you would like to discuss.
Our services are free for public schools, but we also work in private schools for a fee.