Here is NAEE’s latest round-up of news…
Teaching Wisdom? Part 2 – Resilience
An NAEE blog post from Richard Jurin, a regular contributor, explores resilience beyond economic frameworks, advocating for a balance between human and ecological systems. He critiques the reductionist mindset that separates humans from nature, emphasising the need for systems thinking to address complex environmental challenges. To read the blog post in full, click here.
News, in the papers and new resources
The UK has submitted a new action plan to the UN ahead of the next COP. It aims to reduce its emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases by 81% by 2035, but has not explained how it will achieve the goal. The government also signed up to global goals to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. However, it has not set targets for sectors like farming, aviation or energy to address those sectors’ contributions to climate change. To find out more read the article from the BBC here, or take a look at the NDC report yourself here.
Trump’s administration has started to remove or downgrade mentions of the climate crisis across the US government, including the scrapping of a major climate portal on the Department of Defense’s website and the main climate change section on the site of the Department of State.
This comes amongst a wide range of new policies, including an executive order aimed at withdrawing the US from the WHO, the signing of an order to recognise two sexes only and the suggestion the US take over the Gaza and resettle its residents in other countries.
Micro-plastics are growing again (there should be an acronym for that); among a flurry of executive orders, Trump also found time to remove the ban on plastic drinking straws.
How to Beat Ultra Processed Foods
How do we improve our dietary health, and decrease our environmental footprint? That is the question tackled by Neil Kitching in his most recent blog on the Carbon Choices website.
You can read all about Neil’s radical idea to reduce the dominance of ultra processed foods in supermarkets here.
Pine Martens Bounce Back in Devon – find out more here about what happened to 15 pine martens released into the wild….
InterClimate Network 2024 share their highlights from 2024, and offer a ‘refreshingly positive perspective amidst the often-disheartening climate narratives dominating the world today: News and opportunities from InterClimate Network‘
If you would like further news, please use this sign-up link to receive other updates later this year.
If you would like to find out more about their work, please contact Schools@interclimate.org
Making the most of a meanwhile space
A former central London coffee shop is now the home of London National Park City!
News from London, the first National Park City:
The Visitor Centre at 80 Mortimer Street, close to Oxford Circus, is now open. Several events – including an exciting upcoming film screening from one of our supporter organisations – will be hosted there so watch this space for more details!
You can get to know more about the London National Park City team, purchase a copy of their London Urban Nature Map and pick up a copy of their Maker Paper – version two of which will be hot off the press by the end of the month. Spaces within the Visitor Centre will also be available for hire (free for community groups).
News about Schools, Further Education, Higher Education and Initial/Teacher Education
Local Schools Nature Grant
Open to schools and early years settings in England, Scotland and Wales, this outdoor learning grant fund has four elements — an outdoor learning training course for your staff, a school grounds climate survey, a Climate Curriculum Kit (valued at £150) and £500 of outdoor equipment chosen from a catalogue of over 100 items.
Applications are open until 4th April
To find out more and apply, click here
UCL’s Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education
UCL’s CCCSE has a host of related events, reports and news in their newsletter that can be accessed here, including;
New report exploring the role of subject associations in climate change & sustainability education
Young People’s Voices on Climate Education: Ministerial Event and Policy Briefing
Bringing to Life the
Event: Ka ara ake te akoranga i tewhenua: climate action and history teaching in Aotearoa (New Zealand) with Michael Harcourt and Haimana Hirini: 27 February, 1630-1730 GMT
Event: Eco Ed London at Camley Street Natural Park, Kings Cross, London: 28 February, 1230-1630GMT
Funding for School Climate and Biodiversity Projects and from the National Education Nature Park
Two major school funding projects
1. Starting last week, UK primary and secondary schools can apply for grants up to £3,000 for projects tackling climate change and biodiversity. This funding is provided by the Royal Society’s Tomorrow’s Climate Scientists Programme, an extension of their Partnership Grants Programme, which aims to engage students in environmental challenges while promoting STEM education. To qualify, schools must partner with a STEM professional from academia or industry. The grants are primarily intended to cover the cost of necessary equipment for these projects. The application process for the Partnership Grants scheme involves two stages, with the first stage applications due by the 30th April 2025.
Find more information click the link here.
2. There is £10,000 available to schools in disadvantaged areas for work related to the National Education Nature Park funding to increase biodiversity in the school grounds and those schools already involved are now eligible for the next round of funding.
Click here for more information.
Online safety for primary schools through the BBC
The BBC writes about new online safety resources for primary schools.
‘We now have more than 100 teaching resources – including a new Live Lesson – to help you and your colleagues teach online safety. These include both existing BBC video content and newly commissioned films and teaching resources, which we’ve curated in collections mapped to the Education for a Connected World framework set out by the UK Council for Internet Safety.
On Safer Internet Day (11 February 2025), we’re also broadcasting a Live Lesson which you can watch live with your pupils. The lesson is set inside the virtual world of ‘Scam Smashers,’ where your class will become players in a video game alongside presenters Maddie Moate (Maddie’s Do You Know) and Joel Mawhinney (Blue Peter).
Children will be challenged to outsmart digital tricksters to protect their personal information. Newsround’s Emma-Louise Amanshia and Jules Hardy from Game on Grandparents will also be on hand with online safety advice. I promise it will be great fun and that your pupils will take away valuable lessons about spotting scams.
Produced in partnership with Childnet, the Live Lesson will broadcast on BBC Teach and CBBC at 11am on Tuesday 11 February. It will be available on-demand on BBC Teach and BBC iPlayer afterwards, so you can try it at any time if you can’t make it on the 11th. Activity sheets and a teaching guide are already available.’
Environmental Education and Democracy
Environmental Education & Democracy Two-part online discussions: Feb 12, 2025 at 4pm ET (Eastern Time) and Feb 26, 2025 at 4pm ET
Join us for a two-part exploration of how environmental education can foster democratic participation and decision-making for a sustainable future. These sessions are designed for educators eager to enhance democratic environmental governance, and help students and communities influence sustainability practices, policies, and institutions.
February 12, 2025, at 4:00pm-5:00am Eastern Time February 26, 2025, at 4:00pm-5:00pm Eastern Time
Learn more and register: https://www.civicecology.org/eed
Climate Literacy Survey
The Royal Meteorological Society is looking for schools to participate in this year’s Climate Literacy Survey, which is open to schools in Scotland, N. Ireland, Wales and England.
If you are in a school which teaches year 11 (England/ Wales), year 12 (N Ireland) or S4 (Scotland) please take part and share the request with your networks.
For Wales, England and N. Ireland they will be collecting data until the end of March 2025.
For students in Scotland, the survey will remain open until the end of June 2025.
The survey and further information can be accessed via this link
Classroom activities on challenging consumerism available from Good Life Schools
In a world where there is increasing pressure to buy lots of ‘stuff’, young changemakers from the Global Action Plan National Lottery-funded Good Life Schools programme are challenging the pressure to consume and showing that low-impact lifestyles are possible. Through a series of Key Stage 3 and 4 activities, this resource offers the chance to explore how choices we make impact people and planet, and helps raise young people’s awareness of (and build their resilience to) marketing tactics that impact their wellbeing.
Click here to download their resources.
Give the colours back to the Earth
A new publication from Dr Yasemin Allsop, Give the Colours back to the Earth, has lots of ideas and activities to engage young children and support them in making connections with the wonders of the world around them.
Find our more on Yasemin’s website and the myriad activities that accompany the book.
LAST WEEK for the Schools’ Big Garden Birdwatch
The Schools’ Big Garden Birdwatch runs until 14 February and is a great way to connect children with nature while supporting curriculum learning. Schools can still register here now
Virtual Week-long Amazon-themed Initiative for pupils
Emma Espley and Marcella Haddad are offering a virtual workshop aimed to connect pupils with the Amazon rainforest and the Kameba indigenous community in real time.
An insight into the format and content of previous, similar events can be gained by visiting their blog: https://stepintotheamazon.co.uk/blog/
Cost: The fee for a virtual single school workshop is £250, whilst the charge to participate in one of our scheduled virtual multi-schools events is just £125 (you can include as many teachers and Key Stage 2 pupils as you can feasibly accommodate your end).
The next virtual multi-schools initiative will be held on Monday 3rd March 2025, from 9.30am until 12.00 noon, and Friday 7th March 2025, from 2.00 pm to 2.30 pm approx.
For further details or to reserve a place, please contact Emma Espley: emma.espley@gmail.com
West Midlands Air Quality – looking for local schools to engage
West Midlands Air Quality Sensor network is now live; https://cleanair.wmca.org.uk/ The website will allow schools to view the air quality by their schools and see the data update every hour
Schools are able to download the 30-day average for the sensor located nearest to their school and have a toolkit available to communicate with parents and the community.
They will be creating additional classroom based resources this year and are keen to co-create these with teachers and schools. If you are able to support us in engaging with schools across the region, we would appreciate your support.
Reboot the Future: Message in a Bottle
Water is essential, yet the UK faces serious challenges: pollution, shortages, and poor management.
Clive Lewis MP is bringing a vital Water Bill to Parliament on 28th March, but we need MPs to show up and listen.
We’re asking students to write letters to their MPs, expressing their concerns and hopes for the future of water, and deliver them in plastic bottles, a creative SOS calling for change.
The deadline is Friday 28th February!
Let’s flood MPs’ desks with messages and make water a priority.
Get involved #MessageInABottle
Employment, education and training opportunities
Sustainability in Education Conference – 12th February, University of Bedfordshire.
“By 2025, all education settings will have nominated a sustainability lead and put in place a climate action plan.” The Department for Education’s (DfE)’s sustainability and climate change strategy. Whether you have an existing sustainability action plan in place or are just getting started, this one-day course will provide Primary, Secondary and Further Education Sustainability Leads, Teachers, School Improvement Directors, Operations/Facilities Directors and Governors with the tools to develop and progress their school’s climate action plan and put that plan into action. For more information and to sign up, click here.
Free Peace Education Workshop for Educators – 12th February, Online
Online workshop introducing Principles & Practices of Peace Education. This interactive session will explore ways to build peace in educational settings, drawing inspiration from the course content. Learn with experts and contributors to the course and gain valuable insights and ideas on fostering a culture of peace. Whether you’re a teacher, student, or simply passionate about peace, this workshop is for you. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your understanding of peace education!
For more information and to sign up, click this link.
We Rise – 15th February, Sussex University, Brighton.
How can we organise collectively for a better world? Free event organised by Global Justice Now, for anyone under 30. Subsidised travel and accommodation are also available. Expect interactive and lively workshops, exploring a range of topics including, ‘From Trump to Reform: Are we creeping towards fascism?’ and climate justice economics.
Climate Leaders Conference – 6th March, Sheffield Hallam University.
This one-day conference will support education settings, schools and trust leaders to understand the benefits of a sustainability leadership and climate action plans, support to develop a plan and identify opportunities to support their settings in taking action on climate change, sustainability and biodiversity.
For more information, have a look here and to sign up, follow this link.
Climate and Energy Summit 2025, 18th – 19th March, Chatham House, London.
On the road towards COP30, this annual conference will gather senior leaders and decision-makers from the business community, multilateral organizations, government agencies, academia and NGOs. Two days of high-level panel dialogues, networking sessions and an interactive workshop under the Chatham House Rule will focus on multi-stakeholder collaboration for increased ambition, action and impact. For more information and to sign up, have a look on their website.
5th Annual South Yorkshire Schools’ Climate Conference 2025 – 20th March, AESSEAL Rotherham United Football Stadium, Rotherham.
All schools in South Yorkshire are invited to register an expression of interest for groups of up to 6 primary pupils (Y4-Y6) or up to 5 secondary students (Y7-Y11) with 2 adults. It will be a jam-packed day of interactive workshops and speakers exploring the Green Skills and Careers theme. Attending the conference is also a great way to gain more knowledge to boost your school’s Climate Action Plan. For more information, access their website here and to sign up, use this link.
Together in Nature – Trauma-informed Nature-based Training- 24-30th March, Malvern, Worcestershire and 6-10th May, Aberdeenshire.
For people working with children, young people and adults, those interested in their personal development and are curious about the power of connection with the more than human world. The key elements of the 5 days include – holding space; storying our story with nature-based metaphors and more; attuning and resonance with each other and the natural world; creating coherence from separation. To book your space and find out more information, follow this link.
Lead Teacher in Outdoor Learning– 22nd – 22rd April, Stirling University.
Aimed at teachers who would like to develop the outdoor learning culture in their school. The two-day course aims to equip practitioners with practical skills, knowledge and understanding to embed outdoor learning across their setting or whole school community. Conducted by Learning Through Landscapes.
Step up your game as a campaigner – Online, Shelia McKechnie Foundation.
Explore various specialist workshops designed to provide advice, tools and information to help you succeed in campaigning. They work for those who are new to campaigning or who want to hone their skills in a particular specialist area. They offer a series of three-hour online workshops with a focus on active learning. To find out more information and book, check out the website here.
Some exciting job opportunities available:
Remove Programme Manager – Green Action Trust (Hybrid, North Lanarkshire) (Deadline 10th February)
Programmes Support and Communications Officer: Sheila McKechnie Foundation (London) (Deadline 24th February)
Apply to be a Project Ambassador Back The Future is a one year project looking for six young adult Project Ambassadors (2 young farmers, 2 FLAME members, and 2 students), experience includes influencing decision makers about food and farming issues and much more
Hot Spots Development Phase Officer – Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (Bournemouth) (Deadline 26th February)
Engagement Trainee – Friends of the Lake District (Cumbria) (Deadline 16th March)
Head of Research and Policy – Sustainable Fibre Alliance (Remote)
For a wide range of further opportunities, do look at:
And to wrap it up…
Podcast: How big oil is holding back progress on the Paris Climate Agreement
An interesting podcast from Outrage and Optimism. Christiana Figueres, a key figure in the Paris Climate Agreement, reflects on the negotiations that shaped the global climate fight, marking its ten-year anniversary. She discusses the intense pushback from the fossil fuel industry and geopolitical challenges that threaten progress. Co-hosts Paul Dickinson and Tom Rivett-Carnac share their experiences from the final hours of the agreement and offer predictions on how business and politics will evolve under new leadership. They also discuss the increasing displacement due to climate change, projected to affect over a billion people by 2050, and the potential existential crisis for the insurance industry due to climate-related disasters
Sharing News and Contact Details
Please do share our news round-up with colleagues who might be interested. If someone has shared it with you and you would like to join NAEE to support our work, you can do so here.
National Association for Environmental Education (UK)
Email: info@naee.org.uk Web: http://naee.org.uk