UEA to recruit volunteer sustainability experts for government’s national school’s climate scheme
By: Communications
Monday 20 May 2024
Image credit: FG Trade Latin
The University of East Anglia (UEA) has been named as a partner in the Climate Ambassador Scheme that provides nurseries, schools and colleges across England with free access to local experts who can help turn their climate and sustainability ambitions into action.
Today (20 May), at the Education World Forum, the Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan, is calling for 1,000 expert volunteers to join the government’s national climate education programme for schools.
Gillian Keegan said:
“Today, I am announcing the extension of the Climate Ambassadors scheme, which provides education settings with access to a network of regional climate ambassadors. The scheme provides local expert support and peer to peer learning opportunities, with Ambassadors helping nurseries, schools and colleges turn their climate ambition into meaningful climate action.”
Volunteer experts from across England are wanted to support the roll-out of the scheme, which, in the first two years, aims to support 2,500 education settings on their sustainability journey. Regional hubs have been set up so that experts can be matched with educational settings in their area. The East of England Climate Ambassador hub will be coordinated by UEA and led by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.
Asher Minns, Executive Director of the Tyndall Centre, said:
"We are recruiting and training volunteer Ambassadors to together support pupils, teachers, governors to deliver on climate action and empowerment.
“Our Region is the most vulnerable part of the UK to the impacts of climate change, our nature and beaches are the basis of our tourist economy, at sea and on land we see the start of the clean energy revolution, our farmers feed the nation. Climate Ambassadors help equip young people and schools for the everything change that is climate change.”
Experts can make a difference to the ability that nurseries, schools and colleges have to reduce their carbon emissions, improve biodiversity and young people’s connection with nature, while also helping them adapt to climate risks and provide a world-leading education in sustainability and climate change, which is critical for their future lives.
Kit Marie Rackley, Schools Climate Hub Coordinator for the Tyndall Centre, said:
“I’m excited to be working on this national project to empower children from nursery to secondary school and beyond to become climate resilient and climate literate – an essential set of skills as they navigate a changing planet.
“We can already see companies putting more onus on addressing their climate and sustainability credentials and I believe that in the future all jobs can be green jobs and all skills can be green skills. This scheme, and the expertise of the ambassadors, is perfectly suited to help the next generation in the East of England.”
How to become a Climate Ambassador
Anyone interested in becoming a Climate Ambassador can sign up to the scheme now to be provided with free training and support, and be matched to a local nursery, school or college that needs help building a climate action plan. All Climate Ambassadors will be supported by a national network of regional hubs, based at organisations with a strong commitment to sustainability and climate action.
Laura Tobin, ITV weather presenter and Climate Ambassador champion, said:
“If you have a great knowledge of climate change, biodiversity or sustainability, Climate Ambassadors is perfect for you. Young children have a lot of questions – they want to learn so much more about the world around us. If you want to go into schools and colleges to give talks, if you want to help education settings learn more about places they can find great resources, or you want to help the places and people in our education system become greener and more sustainable, become a Climate Ambassador.”
Today (20 May), at the Education World Forum, the Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan, is calling for 1,000 expert volunteers to join the government’s national climate education programme for schools.
Gillian Keegan said:
“Today, I am announcing the extension of the Climate Ambassadors scheme, which provides education settings with access to a network of regional climate ambassadors. The scheme provides local expert support and peer to peer learning opportunities, with Ambassadors helping nurseries, schools and colleges turn their climate ambition into meaningful climate action.”
Volunteer experts from across England are wanted to support the roll-out of the scheme, which, in the first two years, aims to support 2,500 education settings on their sustainability journey. Regional hubs have been set up so that experts can be matched with educational settings in their area. The East of England Climate Ambassador hub will be coordinated by UEA and led by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.
Asher Minns, Executive Director of the Tyndall Centre, said:
"We are recruiting and training volunteer Ambassadors to together support pupils, teachers, governors to deliver on climate action and empowerment.
“Our Region is the most vulnerable part of the UK to the impacts of climate change, our nature and beaches are the basis of our tourist economy, at sea and on land we see the start of the clean energy revolution, our farmers feed the nation. Climate Ambassadors help equip young people and schools for the everything change that is climate change.”
Experts can make a difference to the ability that nurseries, schools and colleges have to reduce their carbon emissions, improve biodiversity and young people’s connection with nature, while also helping them adapt to climate risks and provide a world-leading education in sustainability and climate change, which is critical for their future lives.
Kit Marie Rackley, Schools Climate Hub Coordinator for the Tyndall Centre, said:
“I’m excited to be working on this national project to empower children from nursery to secondary school and beyond to become climate resilient and climate literate – an essential set of skills as they navigate a changing planet.
“We can already see companies putting more onus on addressing their climate and sustainability credentials and I believe that in the future all jobs can be green jobs and all skills can be green skills. This scheme, and the expertise of the ambassadors, is perfectly suited to help the next generation in the East of England.”
How to become a Climate Ambassador
Anyone interested in becoming a Climate Ambassador can sign up to the scheme now to be provided with free training and support, and be matched to a local nursery, school or college that needs help building a climate action plan. All Climate Ambassadors will be supported by a national network of regional hubs, based at organisations with a strong commitment to sustainability and climate action.
Laura Tobin, ITV weather presenter and Climate Ambassador champion, said:
“If you have a great knowledge of climate change, biodiversity or sustainability, Climate Ambassadors is perfect for you. Young children have a lot of questions – they want to learn so much more about the world around us. If you want to go into schools and colleges to give talks, if you want to help education settings learn more about places they can find great resources, or you want to help the places and people in our education system become greener and more sustainable, become a Climate Ambassador.”
Climate Ambassadors is a £2 million Department for Education programme, co-led by the University of Reading and EAUC, in association with STEM Learning.
Prof Andrew Charlton-Perez, co-lead of the scheme at the University of Reading, said:
“Becoming a Climate Ambassador is all about action. Just a small commitment of your time can make a real difference to a local nursery, school or college, giving staff and young people the confidence and skills to make meaningful change happen now.”
Partnering for the planet
Organisations large and small across England who would like to make the Climate Ambassador scheme part of their corporate volunteering programmes can sign up as partners of the programme. By becoming a partner, organisations will have access to a structured, relevant and meaningful volunteer option for their employees, while also supporting the organisation’s community engagement and social value goals.
Charlotte Bonner, CEO of EAUC and co-lead of the Climate Ambassador scheme, said:
“Many organisations are taking action on sustainability and climate change and want to make sure their current and future employees have the green skills they need. Becoming a Climate Ambassadors partner puts organisations at the forefront of moving the education system from ambition to action.”
The Climate Ambassador scheme links with other parts of the Department for Education’s Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy and its funded initiatives: including the National Education Nature Park which sees young people leading the way in forming a vast network of green spaces across England to improve their schools, colleges and nurseries for people and wildlife; and the Sustainability Support for Education platform which will provide access to support for education settings to get started or prioritise next steps on their sustainability journey. Climate Ambassadors work in partnership with the team of Let’s Go Zero Climate Action Advisors, who also provide free tailored support to schools looking to become zero carbon.
Prof Andrew Charlton-Perez, co-lead of the scheme at the University of Reading, said:
“Becoming a Climate Ambassador is all about action. Just a small commitment of your time can make a real difference to a local nursery, school or college, giving staff and young people the confidence and skills to make meaningful change happen now.”
Partnering for the planet
Organisations large and small across England who would like to make the Climate Ambassador scheme part of their corporate volunteering programmes can sign up as partners of the programme. By becoming a partner, organisations will have access to a structured, relevant and meaningful volunteer option for their employees, while also supporting the organisation’s community engagement and social value goals.
Charlotte Bonner, CEO of EAUC and co-lead of the Climate Ambassador scheme, said:
“Many organisations are taking action on sustainability and climate change and want to make sure their current and future employees have the green skills they need. Becoming a Climate Ambassadors partner puts organisations at the forefront of moving the education system from ambition to action.”
The Climate Ambassador scheme links with other parts of the Department for Education’s Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy and its funded initiatives: including the National Education Nature Park which sees young people leading the way in forming a vast network of green spaces across England to improve their schools, colleges and nurseries for people and wildlife; and the Sustainability Support for Education platform which will provide access to support for education settings to get started or prioritise next steps on their sustainability journey. Climate Ambassadors work in partnership with the team of Let’s Go Zero Climate Action Advisors, who also provide free tailored support to schools looking to become zero carbon.
This Thursday 23 May, on Outdoor Classroom Day, the National Education Nature Park is encouraging all teachers and pupils to discover habitats in their school, college or nursery as part of Habitat Heroes Day. This is a great way for all young people to connect to the natural world and for education settings to begin their climate action journey.
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