On March 15, 2024, the Swansea Schools & Climate Education event at the Swansea.com Stadium marked a landmark day in climate change education with the introduction of 'liquid trees'. Liquid trees capture carbon from the atmosphere, making for cleaner air. Thanks to Swansea Building Society, Our Classroom Climate is now available to all primary schools in Swansea, making Swansea the first city to introduce liquid trees into all of its primary-level education establishments.
This vibrant assembly brought together educators, leaders, and community stalwarts, including Julie James MS, Minister for Climate Change, and Councillor Rebecca Fogarty of the Swansea Council, to celebrate the fusion of cutting-edge climate education within school curriculums.
At the event, Swansea pupils showcased their climate change journey and ran interactive lessons with a very esteemed audience. They even showed how they capture carbon in their classrooms.Mark Douglas, Founder of Our Classroom Climate, expressed his enthusiasm, stating:
"Today is a momentous occasion that underscores our collective commitment to confronting climate change. It's a day where we unite across various sectors to make a meaningful impact. Our program is designed to be an enjoyable educational journey, and we urge entities at all levels to help us roll this out across UK schools, positioning us as a global beacon for positive change."
Recapping her experience at the event, the Climate Minister wrote:
"I was struck by the enthusiasm and knowledge demonstrated by the learners, and how this has sparked engagement with parents and carers. Everyone in Wales has a part to play in helping us to achieve a low carbon future. The voices of our children and young people are crucial to this. Learning about the environmental challenges we face and recognising the steps we can take in combatting the Climate Emergency is an essential part of a 21st century education."
Swansea University Employability Academy (SEA) has reaped the benefits of collaborating with Mark on numerous impactful employability initiatives, including the noteworthy Bee1 project, as noted by Lucy Griffiths, Head of SEA. This project introduced beekeeping to Swansea University campuses, facilitating student re-engagement post-pandemic and equipping them with valuable skills for their professional growth.
"Mark's latest initiative, Our Classroom Climate, perfectly aligns with SEA's Ethical Careers Policy, offering students invaluable insights into sustainability and hands-on experience in the green sector through internships and activities like teaching primary schoolers about carbon capture with the innovative liquid trees," Griffiths added.
Dr. Alla Silkina from Swansea University's Centre of Sustainable Aquatic Research shared her excitement about contributing to this initiative by providing starter packs of Spirulina culture to initiate the liquid trees in classrooms.
"These packs are not just educational; they're practical tools for capturing CO2, improving indoor air quality, and moving towards net-zero emissions," she explained.
The event also featured insightful presentations from Professor Geraint Jones and Dr. Rhys Jones, a Q&A with experts, and access to innovative teaching resources, all aimed at making climate science engaging and accessible for students, thereby enriching their educational experience.
Nathan Griffiths from Swansea Building Society commented:
"We're proud to have played a key role in facilitating the Swansea Schools & Climate Education event and the 'liquid trees' initiative. Providing these advanced bioreactors to schools is part of our commitment to empowering the younger generation to tackle climate change effectively. This reflects Swansea Building Society's dedication to sustainable projects and environmental education among Swansea's youth, striving to create a legacy of positive change for future generations."
Paul Broderick, CEO of Bluestones Group, added, "We work with hundreds of schools across the whole of Wales and see on a daily basis the impact that climate change anxiety is having on our country's pupils."
Talking about the importance of a coordinated approach he continued:
"We were compelled to support OCC in their mission to change attitudes to climate change "one classroom at a time" and so we have built a companion package of teacher CPD including a Certificate in Sustainability & Climate Change Education, which we are providing free to all Swansea schools signed up to the OCC programme.
About Our Classroom Climate
Our Classroom Climate is a climate change education programme for Primary-age pupils, fully supporting the national curriculum across UK and Ireland and is the perfect companion programme to the DfE's sustainability & climate change strategy. There are 4 Modules with 24 Lessons comprising 11 core experiments and almost 100 activity ideas. Each Lesson is fully interactive (whiteboard, PC or tablet) with a video or main activity that can be used as part of a sequence or as a standalone resource, a prompt for discussion, a lesson starter, an independent extension, a consolidation activity or as a homework task. Details can be found at www.our-classroom-climate.com
