Important steps are being taken to ready our young people for the environmental changes ahead, through the Climate Ambassador Programme.
In the latest edition of Climate Conversations, we explored a crucial question facing our education system: are our schools and colleges properly equipped to inform and prepare students for the future challenges of climate change?
The challenges we face are significant, but important steps are being taken to ready our young people for the environmental changes ahead. In our latest episode, Nicki Schantz, South West Regional Manager for the Climate Ambassador Programme, based at the Met Office, discusses how educators are adapting to meet these challenges.
In 2022, the Department for Education (DfE) took a significant step forward with the launch of its Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy. This requires all educational settings - from nurseries to further education - to implement a climate action plan and appoint a sustainability lead by the end of 2025.
"The impacts of climate change are going to be felt for decades," explains Nicki. "Students need to be prepared to go out and tackle these problems and build up the skills…to go out into the workforce and be members of society in jobs that may not even exist yet.”
However, schools face significant hurdles in delivering climate education. Many struggle with limited time, resources, and expertise in this rapidly evolving field. This is where the Climate Ambassador Programme steps in, providing crucial support to educational institutions.
The Climate Ambassador Programme takes a holistic approach, supporting schools across four key pillars laid out by the DfE’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy. These include decarbonisation, adaptation and resilience and biodiversity, but perhaps more importantly, it helps develop the knowledge and skills students will need in a changing world.
This comprehensive support system is designed to bridge the knowledge gap and provide educators with the tools they need to deliver effective climate education. Through the programme, schools can access specialised training for educators, resources for developing climate action plans, implementation support and ongoing guidance and expertise.
By equipping our educational institutions with these resources, we’re helping to create a generation ready to tackle environmental challenges head-on.
Get involved
Whether you're an educator, school administrator, or someone passionate about climate education, the Climate Ambassador Programme offers numerous ways to get involved.
To discover more about becoming a Climate Ambassador and the resources available, visit Climate Ambassador scheme page on our website.
You can watch this episode of Climate Conversations on our YouTube channel.