Throughout our Eco-Schools programmes and our other projects with young people, we are inspired by the engagement and commitment of young people across Scotland. Sarah Lees, a teacher at St Paul’s High School tells us how her pupils responded to the Climate Ready Classroom activities as well as the support she received to complete the Train the Trainer course.
As we worked towards the Green Flag Award in 2018 at St. Paul’s High School, it was great to discover all these additional opportunities Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) has to offer. Josh Cannel from the KSB Team delivered our first Climate Ready Classroom workshop in January 2020. The one-day workshop was designed for young people aged 14–17 years so we decided to have a selection of leaners from S3- S6 to see which ages would respond well with the activities. We were happy to see all year groups engage fully with the group exercises and embed their knowledge of the causes, impacts and solutions to climate change. The group work challenges allowed our learners to build upon their communication and problem-solving skills and they certainly enjoyed the competition element of some of the tasks!
As the learners complete the evidence form for accreditation, it allows for an opportunity of reflection and understanding that their pledges could have a real impact upon changes needed in our school and wider community. Feedback from the learners showed the workshop had been an overall success and they understood the importance and purpose of the programme.
After communication from Keep Scotland Beautiful, I decided to complete the Climate Ready Classrooms Train the Trainer course. This consisted of online meetings with a chance to discuss with colleagues around Scotland. The training has allowed me to deliver the workshops in school using the comprehensive materials provided by KSB. Josh and the KSB Team have been great at keeping in contact and offering further updates to training to ensure we are delivering the workshop to its full capacity.
Now in 2022, we currently have two Climate Ready Classrooms trained teachers in our department who are delivering the programme to our S3 Geography classes every year. It runs alongside our Climate Change topic and provides wider achievement in the form of an accredited certificate of Carbon Literacy. It could offer up opportunities for interdisciplinary learning, for example, the greenhouse gas conscious seasonal menus being designed in Geography and created in Health and Food Technology classes. We have been really impressed with the creativity and commitment from our learners during the programme.
We are looking forward to 30 more pupils achieving their Carbon Literacy certificates this year and celebrating their success!
Congratulations from Keep Scotland Beautiful to St Paul’s High school and all the pupils who have gained Carbon Literacy across Scotland!
Climate Ready Classrooms helps young people navigate the science behind climate change and reducing their carbon footprint. It’s a one-day accredited Carbon Literacy training course designed specifically for young people and uses interactive activities and examples to start a conversation about climate change. Upon completing the course, pupils receive Carbon Literacy accreditation. If you would like your class to take part or if you are an educator looking for details on our Train the Trainer course you can find more details and register via our Climate Ready Classroom webpage.
