Online Volunteer Tutor (GCSE) – The Access Project supports pupils from under-resourced backgrounds to access universities. It is looking for undergraduates, postgraduates, staff, and alumni who would be able to tutor a young person aged 14-16, online, one hour a week in term-time Autumn 2024 to Summer 2025 to support them with their academic studies. No prior teaching or tutoring experience is necessary, as the project provides a comprehensive training and induction to help build the confidence to be the best volunteer you can be. Sign up here.
.
Curriculum Forum – Over recent years, the climate crisis has become an accepted scientific fact, and around the world, children and young people have become some of the most vociferous activists for a more sustainable future. But how should the climate crisis and the push for sustainability shape the school curriculum? This question was addressed at a British Curriculum Forum (BCF) event held on 16 November 2023. The event brought together education professionals from different systems and sectors in education to share their critical perspectives on, and practical implementation of, curricula for sustainability. It was also an opportunity to hear from the winners of the 2022 BCF Curriculum Investigation Grant with the theme: ‘Developing a curriculum for climate and sustainability education’. The collective insights from the event and this special issue of the BERA Blog that it has inspired underscore a pivotal shift towards embedding sustainability and climate education in school curricula. You can read it here. And don’t forget the rest of the Bera Blog.
.
FED & Francis – The FED says that the successful launch of its final report has been a defining moment in its efforts to help shape the future of education. It says that the “overwhelming” support it has received from stakeholders highlights the urgent need for a long-term plan for education, but it is clear that there is still much work to be done. The call for a long-term plan for education was just the beginning. Now, it says we must shift our focus towards thinking about bringing this report to life. Happily, the Francis Review has come along just at the right time.
.
UNESCO & UNITWIN – Representatives from UK UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks came together this month for the annual UK Chairs Conference. The two-day event was co-hosted by the UKNC and University College London (UCL) and took place at the UCL Centre for Artificial Intelligence. The conference, titled ‘Activating UK Expertise and Building Partnerships to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals’, included sessions on engaging and influencing UNESCO Policy, Women and Girls’ Education and Campus Africa, advancing Science and Education in line with the SDGs, Innovations and Impacts through UNESCO Chairs.
.
Green Gem – UNESCO’s GEM Report is introducing a new series to advance dialogue on the interrelationships of education with the other Sustainable Development Goals. This first report, Education and climate change: Learning to act for people and planet reviews the various links between education and climate change in formal, non-formal and informal settings. A new indicator measuring countries’ ‘green education’ content is also proposed.
Meanwhile, the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024 finds that only 17% of the SDG targets are on track. With the clock still ticking, 3 things are identified about how the global community can turn things around to fulfil the promise of the SDGs.
.
Child Empowerment – A report from the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovations highlights how children participate in decision-making, the importance of emotional well-being and physical activity, the role of schools, and the potential of media education in empowering children to make the most of digital opportunities. There are further details at What Does Child Empowerment Mean Today?: Implications for Education and Well-being
.
UN Youth – You can find out the details of the UN’s efforts to advance global commitments for and with youth; the impact of strategic planning; and the availability of funding; and coordination on youth work. For details, read the Youth2030 Progress Report 2024.
.
Quality Sustainability at last – For the first time, the 2024 revision of the QAA’s UK Quality Code for Higher Education explicitly refers to sustainability as a key component of quality education provision.
.
Nature Park Update – Between September 24th and 27th there are Climate and Nature Action in Education regional events aimed at education and sustainability leaders. The Climate Ambassadors programme is arranging nine free regional events as part of Climate and Nature Action in Education in September. At each event schools will be able to hear about support from: The National Education Nature Park – The Sustainability Support for Education service – The Climate Ambassador Programme – Let’s Go Zero Climate Action Advisors. Attendees will have the opportunity to build their climate and nature action plan and to work with other education and sustainability leaders on developing partnerships across their region. Each event is completely free, but places are limited. To express your interest in attending please click here.
.
Environmental Music – SEEd has created a playlist for you with some well-known artists who are eager to act on environmental or social aspects of sustainability and use their voices to spread the word. SEEd says give it a go, you might even enjoy their music! Read more about the artists here and listen to the playlist on Spotify.
.
November Connections – Communicate: New Connections for Nature takes places on November 26th , 27th and 28th and we are all invited. This annual conference for environmental communicators will be celebrating its 20th anniversary. It is returning to the familiar national conference format, with live events in Manchester, London and Bristol, alongside an online programme.
.
National Conversations – Join Keep Scotland Beautiful for a one-hour online event to hear from inspiring individuals and organisations taking action to improve places and restore Scotland’s heritage. Details here.
.
Butterflies and Moths – So far, the Big Butterfly Count has broken no records, with dreary weather being blamed. Click here to see the final details.
.
White Storks – This month Citizen Zoo announced its plan to return white storks to London’s land and skyscapes. The London White Storks project is inspired by the success of pioneering reintroductions in southern England since 2016. As a first step, a working group has been set up to make the case for London storks and host expert webinars on the subject. The group will bring together London boroughs and local communities to identify suitable habitats and potential future nesting sites from the wealth of wetlands across Greater London.
Other news from the Zoo include:
- The London Wildlife Trust has launched a stag beetle count as the capital remains a ‘hotspot’ for the protected species – Click here.
- South Downs National Park has already surpassed the half-way mark for its 2030 target to rewild 33% of its land area – Click here.
- South and West Wales Wildlife Trust announced the restoration of 59ha of temperate rainforest at Trellwyn Fach in Pembrokeshire – Click here.
- Rewilding work has started on a new 83-acre former farm connecting existing wildlife habitats in Derbyshire – Click here.
.
Fairtrade Fortnight – This will run from 5th to 22nd September this year. Details here.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
There will be no publication next week; we return on August 19th