Eco Pioneers

Eco Pioneers combines sustainability education with green changemaking, enabling Key Stage 2 students to learn and apply design, innovation, campaigning and business skills. Young people explore local climate and sustainability issues ranging from fast fashion to food waste and renewable energy. They form teams and pick a local sustainability issue that they wish to address. They research the issue, considering causes and effects, before brainstorming different ideas and evaluating and selecting one idea to prototype and develop. The programme culminates with students presenting their ideas to decision makers, including school leadership, parents and local politicians. In some schools students will continue to put their ideas into action.

Students who complete Eco Pioneers have the opportunity to apply and develop 5 essential skills, namely Problem Solving, Creativity, Teamwork, Listening and Speaking. Teamwork is core to the experience, as the whole programme is about working together in teams to address environmental challenges. There are a number of exercises focused specifically on problem solving and creativity, including a problem tree to break down the causes and effects of a problem, brainstorming techniques and an idea evaluation framework. Students have to use communication skills throughout the programme, with listening being emphasised to support teamwork and also to give other teams feedback on their ideas. Building confidence in speaking is important, with a focus first on confidence to share ideas with small groups before progressing to presenting to external guests at the end of the programme.