Words by Smiley Team
A new Duke of Edinburgh-style award scheme has been announced, which will recognise children for their work to improve the environment.
The Climate Leaders Award will help children and young people develop their skills and knowledge in biodiversity and sustainability, and celebrate and recognise their work in protecting the local environment.
For example, young people may choose to undertake a project that delivers change in their local community, such as increasing the biodiversity of a neighbourhood piece of land or helping to deliver experiences for younger children to explore nature and local woodland.
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It is one of a series of measures aimed at putting climate change at the heart of education, as set out by Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.
Pupils will be able to progress through different levels of the award – bronze, silver and gold – in a similar way to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which includes volunteering and extracurricular activities.
School children will be encouraged to increase the biodiversity of their schools by taking steps like installing bird feeders. And they'll be able to upload data on their actions to a new virtual “National Education Nature Park” to track their progress and compete against other schools.
Climate change is already taught in science and geography lessons in England, as part of the curriculum. But teaching staff will now also be empowered to teach children about nature and their impact on the world, through a “model science curriculum” to be in place by 2023.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “We want to deliver a better, safer, greener world for future generations of young people and education is one of our key weapons in the fight against climate change."
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“The COP26 summit has further amplified the UK’s commitments to become a world leader in sustainability right across the education system by engaging young people and bringing them on our journey towards net zero and a green future," she continued.
“And it goes beyond the classroom – our National Education Nature Park and Climate Leaders Awards will let pupils get hands-on experience of understanding, nurturing and protecting the biodiversity around them.”
The Department for Education said all the measures would be brought together in a new education sustainability strategy to be published by April 2022.
You can read more about the government’s plans to tackle climate change on its website. Find out more ways children are giving back, and learn how to get involved, on Smiley News.
