Generation Climate: Teaching Carbon Literacy to Oxford’s Youth
Climate Ed is a charity which teaches children carbon literacy and empowers them to take climate action. It trains volunteers who are knowledgeable and passionate about climate to deliver a series of five workshops to a class of 10-11-year-olds. In London, volunteers have educated over 10,000 children on climate change gas emissions! Last year, 84% of children said that the programme made them feel positive about how they could help with climate change.
The Climate Ed programme is influenced by Mike Berners-Lee’s book How Bad Are Bananas. The first session covers the basics of climate science and ensures all children understand the greenhouse effect. Sessions two, three and four focus on different areas of life which can be higher or lower carbon - transport, food and stuff. Each of these sessions includes a role play to help them have conversations about lower carbon choices. The final session consolidates the learning in a fun drawing game and gathers student feedback.
Climate Ed recruits volunteers from a range of backgrounds but one thing they all have in common is expertise in climate and the communication skills to engage and empower young people in sustainability. The charity arranges DBS checks for potential volunteers to ensure they can go into school so they can observe a session and see what the experience is like. They are supported with training and given access to a full set of resources that include presentations, worksheets, guidance notes and supporting materials.
In 2024 I was a trustee of Climate Ed and a recent alumnus of the School of Climate Change. Living in Oxford I saw the potential to expand the programme into the area and was seconded from the board to run a pilot in the area. For the pilot to deliver its goals I needed to be successful in three areas - raising funds, recruiting volunteers, and onboarding schools. Partnerships are key to being successful in this work and when a connection reminded me of the work of the Oxford Climate Society, I was keen to forge a good working relationship with the team to help build the volunteer pipeline and make the pilot a reality.
I reached out to the then president, Ushika Kidd, who was supportive of the project and invited me to a Climate and Cocktails social in November 2024. I met lots of brilliant students there and learnt a lot about how to promote the volunteer opportunity to Oxford students. Following this event, I received a flood of interest which enabled me to build a strong base of local, high-quality volunteers.
Fast forward to Spring 2025 and the pilot is reaching the culmination of its first year. We are on track to deliver 21 cohorts which is around 600 children. I’ve recruited and onboarded 21 volunteers, of which 13 are students. They include three OCS committee members past and present. These volunteers are able to feel like they have made a real impact in educating the next generation of climate-conscious individuals. Current Climate Ed volunteer and Oxford Climate Society Media Co-Director, Sophie Williams says “I have felt like I have really been able to connect with the young students. Seeing their enthusiasm to learn about climate change and potential solutions makes me more hopeful that we will be able to fix it in the future!”
I’ve also been able to work with Oxford Climate Society in other ways, sharing ideas and resources about best practises to minimise student climate anxiety and signposting opportunities for both organisations to thrive. As a current master’s student studying Education for a Sustainable Environment, these connections have been valuable and enriching.
Here’s what one Year 6 teacher in Oxford said about the programme this year:
“We have really enjoyed our sessions with Climate Ed; each week the children have been eager to ask more questions to further develop their understanding. Our volunteer was excellent, she really connected with the children and taught age-related information, which made it more engaging for them. Overall, we have had a lovely experience and learnt a lot of new information- thank you."
And here’s what the volunteer, an Oxford student, thought about the experience:
“I had a great time volunteering with Climate Ed! I feel that both the students and I learnt a lot from the experience, and it was very cool to hopefully inspire positive change through delivering this material.”
And most importantly, here are a few words from some of the students we’ve delivered to in Oxford this year:
"I now know how to help with climate change”; “It was a great opportunity to learn about how to help the planet”; “Interesting and inspiring”.
If you’d like to get involved with Climate Ed next year, please get in touch for a chat! We can fit the volunteering around your term dates and match you with schools in the Oxford city that are convenient for you to travel to. You can find out more information and request more information here: https://www.climateed.net/volunteer-with-us.
Written by Claire Gilbert