Climate Action Toolkit – new funded opportunities for schools to get involved
Schools across the UK are planning and delivering a wide range of climate-friendly steps, such as reducing waste, making buildings more efficient, or encouraging greener travel. InterClimate Network’s (ICN) research report in 2021 showed that a majority of secondary students are already motivated to make a difference (see here).
Success in this area means having the support of the whole school community. Students – and staff – have lots of different views, and there will be different activities and approaches that can help motivate them. This is where the Climate Action Toolkit developed by ICN comes in, enabling as many students as possible their say on climate action in a school-wide online survey. We use behaviour change approaches to provide an informed report about:
- who you are talking with
- why some people haven’t already made changes
- what barriers are preventing them from adopting any new behaviour, and
- what would motivate more climate action in your school.
In 2022, InterClimate Network (ICN) heard from more than 9600 people aged 11 to 18 years and 20 secondary schools and colleges received their bespoke report. Students participated from schools in both secondary schools and colleges received their bespoke report. Students participated from schools in both rural and urban areas, with high pupil premium rates to very low pupil premium rates, single sex grammar and inner city academies. The team is now bringing this rich data together into a comprehensive national report to ensure their views and voices are heard, and look forward to sharing those insights soon.
We have recently secured funding from Movement for Good so we can offer a survey for free to schools, on a first come, first served basis. If you want to be one of them, please contact schools@interclimate.org and we will be happy to answer any further questions.
There is more information about it on our website page here which includes links to a copy of the survey, an example school report, the planning sheet and two activities.
What it involves
Our Climate Action Toolkit is a student-led resource that develops important skills on the way.
- Once you have SLT go-ahead, we will send a short task sheet for a lead group of students to complete before they roll out the on-line Climate Action Survey at a time that suits your school.
- ICN’s team will analyse the data and provide the school with an individual report and analysis for the lead group to share findings across the school and community.
- Students are invited to use specifically developed activities, and join skills-based workshops (on-line and in person) to help create targeted campaigns or initiatives that galvanise climate action in school. These activities are designed to: apply behaviour change approaches; be carried out within eco group meetings; and be used multiple times, applied to every climate action.
- ICN will draw together a report of findings across all participating schools and share it widely via national platforms where students can share what they have achieved.
About ICN
InterClimate Network (ICN) is the brand of the registered charity InterClimate Trust (No. 1100981). Our mission is to inspire young people in the UK to become leaders and advocates for action on climate change.
We work collaboratively to deliver climate sustainability programmes to engage young people (primarily age 11-18) across the UK with the complexities of climate change, inspire their climate action, and promote their voices in their own sustainable future.
Our UN-style model COP climate conferences inspire and enable students to ‘think globally, act locally’. Teams of students represent various countries, researching, presenting, and passionately debating their challenges and achievements. Then they move on to learn what actions they can take themselves and in their schools.
We are also partners in an Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union through the International Climate Action Network project which has supported the development and sharing of a Climate Action Guide and Climate Conference Kit.
@InterClimate
