We are thrilled to announce that our series of eco workshops in primary schools has successfully reached a milestone, delivering transformative sessions to over 600 children! These workshops, focusing on the critical environmental topics carbon emissions and water use, have been designed with age-appropriate methods to engage young minds.
PeCAN's school eco workshops cover climate, carbon and water.
In the climate session a beach ball wrapped in bubble wrap and a child in multiple layers of clothing are used to demonstrate the process of global warming. The children are invited to take part in a creative exercise, designing a flag with a slogan.
The carbon and water sessions begin with a song called 'Web of Life', which is about community resilience. The carbon session looks at the concept of carbon footprints. Carbon emissions from food are considered, the idea of reduce and re-use is explored, and role of natural carbon sinks (forests, salt and peat marshes, mangroves, sea grass) is explained.
The water scarcity session looks at water footprint of clothes and food, fair trade concerns around buying clothes produced in water-scarce countries, consumer choice, the challenges of cleaning-up plastic in water, and both workshops touch on the importance of a more plant-based diet to reduce environmental impact.
Each workshop consists of two phases:
1. Input Phase: Utilizing quizzes, group work, storytelling, and other interactive activities, we introduce the children to complex environmental issues in an accessible manner.
2. Creative Output Phase: Children are encouraged to express their understanding of what they have learned through creativity. With this, we highlight the importance of communicating knowledge in order to drive transformative change.
A key highlight of our workshops is the introduction of the positive ecological handprint concept. Carbon footprints (negative impacts) and carbon handprints (positive impacts) are described, and we explain that we should aim for tiny feet and huge hands! This innovative approach shifts the focus from the negative ecological footprint to fostering positive action among children.
It's a visual and interactive representation of their commitment to the environment: the children place their handprints on a large sheet, alongside written pledges for positive environmental actions.
The response has been overwhelmingly positive.
Both children and teachers have expressed great enthusiasm, and the creative outcomes have in some cases been nothing short of stunning, from moving poems to 3D-models of mangroves, to educational comic strips, petitions and poignant placards - we've been amazed by the children's creativity and their powerful visual statements that resonate with the urgency of environmental stewardship.