Climate Change, Climate Action.

Climate change, climate action. Or is it climate ACTION, climate CHANGE? Our new workshop is all about the affect our everyday actions have on the planet, and the fact we’re all responsible. It also looks at the change we can make to have positive actions on the planet. We are all connected.

The fact we are all connected makes it complicated. We do need ‘stuff’. We like to live in warm, cosy, well lit homes. We drive to work. We update our wardrobes, our style, our looks. We play with toys. We use phones and iPads. We watch TV. There is no escaping any of this, but there is opportunity to stop and think about the things we need, use, want. And that’s where our workshops come in.

‘Climate Change, Climate Action’ begins with a quiz. A quiz that asks insightful questions that lead to students thinking about, and discussing, where the things they use every day come from; how they are made and how they are disposed of. But also, the different options there are to make our choices more sustainable.

To bring attention to the impact of our choices we then look at what happens to our carbon footprint when we buy an apple from South Africa or grow our own. We know that neither option is a simple option, but there are options at every turn. Do we choose organic? Do we buy UK grown? Do we shop in big supermarkets or local greengrocers? Do we look for Fairtrade? Do we drive to the shops? There is A LOT to think about just when we choose to buy an apple. Our child centred activities enable young people to start thinking about their role as a citizen, not just a consumer.

“A fun, educational and thought-provoking workshop that helped to consolidate previous learning. The children were engaged throughout the session and empowered them to think about what they can individually do.” Teacher feedback.

As with many fairandfunky workshops, ‘Climate Change, Climate Action’ also includes SCRAPtastic making; children leave the classroom with something to spark discussions at home. This time the SCRAPtastic make is to create a recycled planter from an old plastic milk bottle. Linking to the food miles activity and reusing, it demonstrates how we can make choices to reduce our carbon footprint and the impact of climate change. We can choose to re-use, and we can choose to grow our own food.

Little steps of small actions, but together they make a huge difference. It’s important for young people to know and understand they have a role in our local and global societies. It is all of us: individuals, small businesses, shops, governments and multi-nationals; that need to act together so we can take climate action and facilitate climate change.  

If you’re interested in booking a fairandfunky workshop for your school please email helen@fairandfunky.com. We’d love to hear from you!