Youth Programme Aims

A Model for UK School Engagement in Learning About Climate Change

In formal education in the UK there is considerable frustration on the part of concerned teachers and students that the space for learning and talking about climate change is limited within the current curriculum. Finding out about climate change lends itself to powerful cross curricular approaches and such opportunities need a strong narrative context to make sense to students.

Art, Science, Education

The expeditions have a compelling narrative element and a strong cast of celebrated artists (for example Gary Hume, Antony Gormley, Ian McEwan, Rachel Whiteread), scientists, teachers, media and sailing crew. The arts/science ethos of the voyages highlights a very contemporary way into complex scientific issues through art and performance.

Aims

• To facilitate learning about climate change and participation in climate change debate and action among teachers and pupils in UK schools.
• To give school students a voice in the climate change debate and to enable them to take what they have learnt and talked about back home into their communities and families

Objectives

• To assist teachers in participating schools to introduce a cross curricular focus on climate change into the life of the school and local community
• To prepare student participants to learn about climate change and to express their opinions and feelings about it
• To research and prepare supporting resources and materials for UK schools based around the Cape Farewell voyages
• To make a tool kit and blueprint for climate change projects in all UK schools

Our Approach

Learning About Climate Change

The appetite for knowledge about climate change, and working out how we all respond to it, is strong in UK schools, but introducing this work creatively into schools is not straightforward and needs new approaches. Some schools like Villiers School in Ealing are doing very exciting things, but other schools need ideas, learning models and resources.

Communicating Climate Change

The project aims to spread enthusiasm and strategies for learning about climate change throughout UK schools. The story of the students on the voyages - what they see, what they make and what they do, is only a starting point. The true audience for the project is the teachers, pupils and their parents in the schools.

Interaction Between Arts and Science

The Cape Farewell project's unique selling point, in the increasingly crowded field of learning about climate change, is its arts/science focus - cross fertilisation between creative and scientific ways of engaging with the issues. Creative approaches engage hearts and feelings and inspires further investigation into the science.

Peer to Peer Education

Pupils communicating what they know to other pupils can be very productive and we aim for this to be a key principle of the project, particularly cross phase.

Cross Curricular Engagement

Learning about climate change is inherently cross curricular and schools need help in imagining how a whole school project on climate change might work.

Student Enquiry

Students are given framework within which they can find out rather than be told. They respond creatively as well investigating scientifically.

Student Voice

Students exercise their own opinions in discussion peer to peer networking and through developing creative projects and media communications.

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