ClimateYouChange delivers fun and interactive children’s climate change education at local event

In July 2022, ClimateYouChange group founder, Celia met local resident, Alex at a council run event. Together they discussed a project which Alex and local organisation, Applecart Arts were hoping to run, subject to securing funding. They were attempting to create a child-friendly nature trail in Plashet Park in Newham (where Applecart Arts base their community performing arts non-profit and café in the Passmore Edwards listed building).

Celia was particularly interested in the commitment to increase biodiversity through diverse planting, including native and non-native species (presumably considered to both support wildlife and for global warming adaptation), the use of recycled, natural, and sustainable materials where possible, alongside Alex’s evident desire to engage local people and especially children in the natural world.

At ClimateYouChange we aim to involve our communities in caring for the natural world, to support the natural systems upon which people and planet rely, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Therein, engaging people within their local natural environments is an important part of changing attitudes to biodiversity, sustainably grown food, carbon drawdown from tree planting and quite literally ‘earth care’.

Celia suggested that ClimateYouChange members contribute children’s climate change education if the funding bid was successful which it subsequently was.

In late February 2023 Alex asked the group if they would be interested in sharing ideas for a school orchard planting day (20 fruit trees within Plashet Park). Knowing that we had already been involved in local workshops, Alex asked if we might also be interested in contributing on the day.

A full day session was planned for year 5 pupils from a local academy school (ages 9-10). Alex put forward another contact, Joseph, to work with Celia on delivering a fun, interactive climate change education workshop, owing to his youth engagement experience.

They then later met with Alex to discuss plans for the workshop. Celia drew up climate change information and suitable learning material which was included in a pack for the target age group.

Alongside the workshop material we provided include relevant visual material. Thanks go again to Jyotsna for creating another beautifully presented flyer. Fellow group member, Jonathan had asked Jyotsna whether she could create the graphic presentation for a climate-friendly eating flyer further to their work with Celia deciding on the wording.

On the day of the event, Joseph and Celia in their capacity representing ClimateYouChange ran the group’s pre-arranged climate change education activities in rotation between the three classes of year 5 school children from neighbouring Kensington Primary School located in Manor Park. The pupils swapped between activities delivered by the event organisers and other community contributors, including ourselves.

Joseph and Celia engaged with the teachers of each class, with one of the teachers later joining ClimateYouChange as a group member.

The day was a success. There was a high degree of positive engagement with the children who displayed an eagerness to learn and take part in the fun activities used as a means of teaching such a serious and important subject in an age-appropriate manner. We look forward to running this new iteration of our children’s climate change education programme again!