Education is vital in enabling an understanding of the local and global effects of climate change. Schools, higher education and further education have the opportunity to help engage young people and mature students about the issues. Students and young people have demonstrated their energy and creativity in wanting to learn more, get involved and take action to fight against climate change.
We encourage schools to sign up to the green charter and aim for Eco-schools status.
Cornwall Council welcomes the passion shown by young people and is here to work with them to create a collective Cornish voice to lobby Parliament on the Climate Emergency. All Secondary schools have collectively declared a climate emergency and have signed up to the Green Charter and we are now encouraging all primary schools to sign up as well.
Eco Schools
Eco Schools is a global programme engaging over 19 million children, making it the largest educational programme on the planet. It provides free resources to help schools work towards international green flag status.
See a map showing which schools in Cornwall have achieved Eco-School award and which schools are working towards it.
Green Charter for schools
Liskeard School and Community College, in collaboration with other secondary schools, has developed a Green Charter for schools in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Resources
Waste and Recycling
Waste Week: The Pod run the waste week and have more information on their interactive and educational platform for teachers and children. It offers free lesson plans, practical activities, assemblies, films, games and information.
Surfers Against Sewage provide educational resources and will help schools achieve Plastic Free Status. They also run an Ocean School to deepen children's understanding of the marine environment and how to protect it.
Plastic Free: Final Straw Cornwall has been very proactive in beach cleaning and encouraging businesses to ditch plastic straws. They have over 600 businesses signed up in the county. Many have gone on to reduce all forms of single use plastic from coffee cups to cutlery, to sauce sachets. If any schools wish to be involved in a beach clean on the 8th May after school, or any other day, please get in touch and we will arrange some volunteers to host one in your area. Please contact Pat Smith on 07971 298 913 or you can contact Final straw via Facebook or Twitter.
Beach Guardian is based in Padstow and have established a Schools Educational Activities Link workshop in collaboration with Cornwall Council. The Beach Guardian assembly and workshop session is FREE of charge to Cornwall Schools. Dates are subject to availability so please email seal@beachguardian.co.uk or call 01841 521132
Green Travel
The Eden Project provide free lesson plans and you can book a trip to go and visit their Biodomes.
The United Nations run courses on climate change and the introductory course may be useful.
Train to become an accredited Climate Change Teacher. Run by eduCCate Global, teachers can access a number of training courses.
The Met Office provide resources to help children discover maths and science through weather and climate. They combine world leading meteorology expertise with a sense of fun and adventure through free curriculum-linked resources.
Suez Cornwall run educational visits to the Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre which aim to engage pupils of all abilities to investigate sustainability, energy and resource management. The trip includes a behind the scenes tour.
One of the challenges for schools is having a positive response to the natural desire for students to show their concern about the environment through events such as #Fridaysforfuture. Global Action Plan created a Climate Chaos Response Toolkit to support schools and leadership teams to develop and build on schools' positive response to the climate emergency.
Stem Learning provide the resource Climate Futures from the Centre for Science Education and the Cominno Foundation primarily for 10-14 year olds.
Outdoor Classroom provide resources for teachers, giving lesson ideas and guidance on making outdoor learning and play part of every school day.
Biodiversity
Forest for Cornwall is Cornwall Council's flagship environmental solution to Climate Change in partnership with the Woodland Trust - and we are encouraging individuals, schools and businesses to get involved.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust has information on how to help Wildlife at School. They also run the 30 days wild campaign with the University of Derby, which showed that children are happier, healthier and more creative when they are connected to the natural world. For simple things anyone can do they have some great suggestions for Random Acts of Wildness.
The Woodland Trust can provide free trees for Schools and community groups and have online resources for schools with planning tools, planting advice and quizzes.
The Tool shed provides free tools to schools. The tools are refurbished in prison workshops providing training for prisoners to help them find work on release.
British Bee Keepers Association run 'project Bees in Schools' and they have advice and curriculum packages.
There are 190 species of Bees in Cornwall, with 120 being solitary (don't live in colonies). Wheal Buzzy Project is particularly interested in mining bees (also known as Digger Bees). As Cornwall areas of Natural Beauty have larger proportion of these Bees than in any other part of the country and run school trips to find out more.
Sustainable growing, cooking and eating
The Take a bite out of Climate Change has resources for schools and families, including climate food flashcards to understand how food choices contribute to climate change.
Growing a Forest Garden is a sustainable way of growing food that encourages biodiversity to flourish and is fun. You can grow a Forest Garden in a 2 metre plot - right up to 2 Hectares.
Get involved
Become a Carbon Neutral Cornwall Youth Ambassador and share ideas, get involved in regional and national campaigns, discuss new initiatives and to learn about the opportunities available in the green energy sector.
The Carbon Buddy Project - has a Carbon Buddy Manual to help you and your carbon buddy put together a personal pollution reduction plan.
Bright Green Future provide year long free environmental training for 14 - 17 year olds.
Cornwall Climate Care have resources to help teachers. The teaching packs are designed to stimulate deeper learning and conversation about climate change.
Visit the Carbon Neutral Cornwall Hive and share your ideas for low carbon living, and inspire others to make a difference.
