Schools and colleges to play major part in tackling climate change
A conference is being hosted by Brighton & Hove City Council for school and college leaders that will focus on climate and biodiversity.
School and college leaders from across the city are coming together for the ‘A whole school, whole city, approach to climate education and action’ event on Friday 30 April, which will be held virtually.
As part of Brighton & Hove’s environmental education programme, the conference aims to provide support and resources to schools and colleges to help them embed climate change into their curriculums.
Conference organiser, Katie Eberstein, Brighton & Hove Environmental Education Officer, said: “We’re delighted to have this opportunity to raise awareness of climate and biodiversity emergency with school and college leaders and give them the opportunities to share and learn more about what they can do in their settings.
“It’s important to develop a cohesive city-wide approach and we’d like to get a commitment from our headteachers and principals to include climate education in their strategic plans.”
The conference will share best practice from local schools and colleges, and national organisations. Afternoon workshops will look at how the wealth of expertise from local organisations can support schools and colleges. Workshops available include:
- Outdoor learning
- Embedding nature in the curriculum
- Reducing food waste
- Creating climate resilience in school/college grounds
- School travel climate ambassadors
Jo Lyons, Assistant Director, Education and Skills, said: “The council has declared climate and biodiversity emergencies and made a commitment to becoming a carbon neutral city by 2030.
"We want to support our schools and colleges in helping to play their part supporting our climate goals and want to embed climate learning into our curriculums, not taught as a stand-alone subject.
"We feel strongly that headteachers and principals, with our support, should lead the agenda across our schools and colleges.”
If you are a headteacher or principal and haven’t already signed up for the conference, or a teacher wanting to attend the workshops, you can still register your interest by contacting schools.training@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
