Schools’ Sixth Form Climate Action Workshop

Who is this for?

Many sixth-formers, who are about to move on to a career, or go to university want to understand what they need to do about the climate emergency. This course is Carbon Literacy Project certified. It will give young people leaving school qualifications and the ability to take action in their personal lives, at school and in their careers to enable them to live low-carbon lives and persuade friends and family to do the same. Those young people who want the certainty of knowing the right things to do should come to this course. Take part in this course if you want to make a difference to the planet.

This course will show you why you should be concerned about climate change, why you need to take action now, and how to take action.

We will explain “carbon footprints” to measure your impact on the planet. We will also go through what life would look like if you lived in a low-carbon way. We will look at food, transport, energy, what you buy, and the right things you, family and friends should take to “save the planet”.

We will also show you how energy costs can be reduced by 80 %, food costs by 30 %, and better travel can help everyone. You can reduce your car travel costs from 15 pence per mile to 3 pence per mile. Student life can be expensive, and learning how to save money through taking action on climate change has got to be good!

Carbon Literacy Project

This workshop has been approved by the Carbon Literacy Project. They are a brilliant organisation that researches and develops the training material and then enables others to deliver the material. They define carbon literacy as:

“An awareness of the carbon dioxide costs and impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and organisational basis.”

They also help develop organisations to become better at increasing this awareness. We are a platinum-level Carbon Literate Organisation – which is the highest award available.

They believe that one day of education is enough to enable people to be confident in what they know, pledge actions which they take to their community, and help others to understand why they need to take action. Any less than that is just a taster, that does not ensure action.

Following your one day of education, you can become Carbon Literate qualified by completing their assessment. You clarify what you have learned and then pledge two actions. One as an individual and one as a group. They will assess you and if your answers are good, then they will provide you with your certificate.

It will also look good on your CV.

What is the agenda?

The course will cover:

The Basic science – so that you will know how to be confident in the scientific evidence, and counter the usual arguments about the fact this is not an emergency. We will also illustrate the consequences of climate change so you can see and explain why we need to take action in our private and public lives. This will show you why you should be discontented.
How to reduce your carbon footprint. We all create carbon and other toxic gases, and there are several software programs to help you measure your personal, and community impact. We will show you how to use those tools, with a practical example, and use that measure to change what you do on a day-to-day basis. We will deal with food, travel, energy, and what you buy. We will show you how much you can save by doing the right things for the planet. We will point you to the right providers for energy for instance. We will show you how to save energy costs, reduce travel costs and eat the right things. This will help you create your vision.
International, national and local action. We will give you the background of the international work that is going on, the UK legal framework, progress on targets, and how you can take action locally.
Creating a plan. We will provide ideas of how you can make changes in your school around reducing the school’s carbon footprint, and encourage you to think about your future career, and where you will be able to make a difference.
Communication. If you leave the course and talk to ten people about what needs to be done, and those ten people talk to another ten people and so on, we will soon all go in the right direction. But communicating by telling people what they must do does not work. It is helpful to listen, understand, and ensure that communication is directly relevant, The best practice is to avoid scaring people. It is better to show how change is relevant to their own lives, and will benefit them financially as well as in the way they live. So you will be able t away, make a difference in your own life, and help others to make s difference in their lives.

How long is it?

The 8 hour course is structured can be structured around 8 x 1 hour sessions, or perhaps 10 x 45 minute sessions, and is designed to be run as an extracurricular course (like a Duke of Edinburgh course)

You have to attend all sessions to qualify for the Carbon Literacy certificate, and there is a little bit of homework to do to find out your footprint and other small assignments along the way.. We also point you towards various websites and videos that will give you more background.

How much does it cost?

Our standard price is £120.00 per person (no VAT is charged), which includes the materials, and the teaching, and includes the £10.00 certificate application fee to the Carbon Literacy Trust. However, we are very open to discussion on how to create funding for the course.

In principle, we use any money we get to help fund projects in communities. A recent attendee has applied for a grant to create a shed, buy some tools, and grow local produce. Brilliant.

You will also learn how to save money and carbon, so it is not a course which askes you to spend money for no return.

If you want to donate to our cause, then please click on the DONATE button at the side of the page.

When is it?

We can arrange to hold this course in school to suit the students (and/or teachers), and would like to hold it at the same time each week.

Where is it?

We can deliver the course over the internet using Zoom or person-to-person.