TEDx Global Youth Countdown
Published: 9 December 2020
The school has successfully applied for a Royal Society Tomorrow’s Climate Scientists grant. They are investigating whether they can grow food sustainably all year round using hydroponics, a poly-tunnel and raised beds; and looking at what can be done to produce and consume food in a sustainable way. They will be working with local STEM experts and businesses.
“This TEDx Countdown project has been really exciting for our children to be involved with,” says Emma Crisell, Deputy Head at the school and lead for the Harrogate Partnership. “They have been learning from and inspired by the secondary students also involved and have felt empowered to really make a difference with their own real-world science research. We are so proud of the children who were able to present their ideas as part of the TEDx event.”
“As a partnership, we are now involved in a really exciting international competition themed around climate change,” enthuses Emma. “Through Science on Stage, I have been collaborating with a teacher in Italy – where climate change lessons are now compulsory for all children. Year 5 pupils will be working on their own solar panel research projects – using resources provided by The Eureka Project Team in Italy – each partnership school will hold their own competition and the overall winning partnership team will showcase their work at an international science fair in Italy!
“The TEDx Global Youth Countdown event showed what fantastic potential our young people have to change their future,” says Becky. “We want to enable and support them in doing this and hope that this exciting initiative will eventually lead to an accredited award for student engagement in climate change research. I am looking forward to sharing our climate research with the schools in my Tunbridge Wells Partnership,” concludes Becky.
Climate Change Ambassadors from Chipping Campden School (former hub for the Ogden Chipping Campden Partnership) also took part in the TEDx Youth Countdown.
They talked about the work they are doing at their school to involve younger pupils in initiatives to take positive climate action, including a school Climate Champion Award scheme and a Christmas Climate Challenge. Students from Chipping Campden are also working on an environmental research project with Southampton University, whilst other students have been asked to submit the first everhttps://vimeo.com/483160046 student article for Catalyst (a national magazine for 14-19 year olds) on their environmental initiatives. The Ambassadors are working to build an eco-friendly roundhouse on the school field and to introduce wildlife areas; community clean-up initiatives are also being developed.
The Ambassadors have participated in the Royal Institution Youth Forum and have since been invited to work in collaboration with the RI to develop a Primary Masterclass series on Climate Change; work is also underway for other climate change after school clubs.
Building networks
Chipping Campden school has also now challenged Richard Taylor Primary School to design an eco-Christmas poster to encourage others to consider the choices they are making.
You can find the TEDx Global Youth Countdown talk here: listen to what our future and current experts are saying about the climate change crisis and how it should be tackled.