NAAEE says “Imagine if we treated educators and scientists like the superstars that they are. Imagine if everyone believed that they had the power to effect change, even in the smallest of ways”.
To facilitate this, they launched a new podcast about climate resiliency and education on September 12th. You can listen to the promo here. With support from National Geographic, Imagine If explores the concept of climate resiliency as the ability of people to adapt to changes in climate, anticipate what might happen next, and bounce back from climate impacts when they occur.
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Defra has issued an Invitation to Tender for a research contract ‘Evaluating and supporting increased environmental social action by young people’. The tender deadline is the 12th October and the contract will run from 2 November 2018 to 28 February 2020. The specification and other documentation can be found on the Bravo system here.
This research aims to “evaluate progress towards its goals, gain greater insight into how volunteering service providers can overcome barriers to increase youth environmental social action, and consolidate learning and identify future opportunities to continue to increase youth participation in in this area. The research should review existing evidence on the barriers encountered by volunteer organisations in attracting and managing youth volunteers and engage key stakeholders, including volunteering service providers and young people, to gain greater insight. It should examine progress in encouraging uptake of environmental social action by this target group since the launch of the 25 year environment plan, and present best practice and examples of where high quality volunteer opportunities and experiences have been offered as part of the campaign. It should consolidate learning from campaign activities, to inform and enable future activity to build upon and maximise opportunities for young people to participate in environmental volunteering.”
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Tomorrow, September 18th is the shortest solar day of the year. As the Science Geek notes:
“Although a day for practical timekeeping purposes is always 24 hours, the actual length of a solar day, which is the time difference between two successive occasions when the Sun is at its highest in the sky, varies throughout the year. As shown in the graph below, it is at its longest, 24 hours 30 seconds, around Christmas Day and is at its shortest, 23 hours 59 minutes 38 seconds, in mid-September.”
There’s more here.
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London’s Natural History Museum reminds us that Dippy, the Natural History Museum’s iconic Diplodocus cast, is on a natural history adventure across the UK, and that Dippy hopes you’ll join him. The NHM also says that there are incredible natural history collections and biodiversity to explore right on our doorsteps. Click here to see more about the Dippy tour and to find classroom resources, and here to read and hear about bird song, including whether pigeons have regional accents.
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You can download a GLP report on Geography and Global Learning here. It was written by Dr John Hopkin, GA Head of Accreditation for the Global Learning Programme (GLP), on behalf of the Geographical Association. The executive summary begins:
“Global learning is an approach to learning about development that emphasises the importance of linking people’s lives throughout the world. It involves knowledge and understanding about the world, skills and an examination of values, so is closely aligned with geography in the school curriculum.The UK government’s 2013–18 Global Learning Programme (GLP), involved linked programmes in the four UK nations. It aimed to improve teaching in this area in half of state schools in key stages 2 and 3 and, as a result, for pupils to have a thorough knowledge and understanding of global poverty and the ways it can be reduced. …”
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NAAEE’s eePRO has a new climate literacy webinar series which starts on September 20th. Details here.
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Arkive says, “So you’ve watched all the BBC natural history & David Attenborough TV shows, you’ve been inspired by our filmmaker blogs and you have a fantastic film idea for Earthwatch’s Young Earthwatch Film Competition… but how to actually go about and make a film?” If you’re interested, and with some help from the BBC and the educational charity IntoFilm, Arkive says”let us take you through some of the important aspects of filmmaking.”
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The next LEEF Reading Group is on Wednesday 17th October 2018, 6pm-7.15pm Outside the Poetry Library, Level 5, Royal Festival Hall. LEEF says:
“We’ll be reading a couple of short chapters from “The World We’ll Leave Behind: Grasping the Sustainability Challenge” by Paul Vare and William Scott which came out earlier this year. This is good opportunity to explore how the practice of environmental education connects to wider theories and ideas. This is a free event. All welcome including newcomers to LEEF. Copies will be available on the day. If you missed the last reading group on ‘Climate Change Education, you can access a little write-up here thanks to Kate Greer.”
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Here are the nominations for CLOtC’s 2018 awards for outstanding contributions.
Inspiring Educator sponsored by School Travel Organiser
Nicola Bettis – Trainee Teacher, Akiva School
Paul Curnow – Prep 3C Form Teacher & Forest School Leader, Spring Grove School
Rhoda Bedington – Education Volunteer, Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve
Zeeshaan Dinally – Chief Experiences Officer/Astronomer, Immersive Exepriences
LOtC Innovator sponsored by YHA
Ben Maxfield – Director and Founder, BXM Expeditions
Dan Riley – Programme Leader, White Hall Outdoor Education Centre
Jon Clarke – Assistant Head Teacher, Walsall Academy
Lisa Shames – Learning Programme Manager, The Jewish Museum London
LOtC Advocate sponsored by Canal & River Trust
Dr Coral Harper – Founder/ Director at Better Out Than In
Marina Robb – Director, Circle of Life Rediscovery
Mick Blamires – Hostel Manager, YHA Eskdale
Lynne Ledgard – Assistant Headteacher, Green Lane Community Special School
Voting closes on Friday October 26th.