Climate, nature, sustainability and skills building are desperately overlooked in our outdated and overfull national curriculum in England so I'm always on the lookout for innovative ways to ensure my pupils develop the knowledge and skills for sustainable futures. Needless to say, when I discovered that a new Key Stage 3 initiative for schools called the ‘Young Green Briton Challenge’ (YGBC) was launching in 2022, it sparked my interest.
The Challenge was described as “an innovative initiative designed to engage students aged 11-14 in addressing local climate and sustainability issues through entrepreneurial solutions and campaigns.” It offered numerous benefits for teachers and pupils, fostering a collaborative and enriching educational experience, which all sounded right up my street, so I signed my school up without further hesitation.
Towards the start of the school year we made a plan for our full cohort of ninety Year 7 pupils to take part. Following an inspiring assembly to launch the challenge in the Autumn term, the pupils started investigating big issues around waste, water, fast fashion, food, energy and transport for the Explore phase over three lessons. Whilst they researched the causes and consequences of each theme there was much discussion about the challenges society faces and our responsibility as global citizens.
The pupils were put into mixed teams and tasked with selecting one issue to create a project around. They used a problem tree, writing the issue they wished to focus on down the trunk, the causes along the roots and the consequences in the branches. One of the biggest challenges for the pupils was to come to a consensus about which individual cause they wished to choose, each child justifying their selection and listening to the other responses in the group. The range of different individual issues identified for team projects was incredible.
Problem tree exercise, brainstorming solutions and presenting ideas
After the Explore phase it was time for the Design Sprint which supported the pupils to brainstorm potential solutions and then refine their ideas. Incredibly knowledgeable, energetic and enthusiastic members of the YGBC team came into school armed only with big sheets of paper and a few worksheets. They were joined by a couple of mentors from Egger Ltd, a local company who would support the teams through the next steps. The Year 7s congregated in the hall and had half a day to design solutions to their challenge. There were plenty of fun, warm-up activities to ensure they were engaged and teams were supported so that everyone actively participated.
All of Year 7 participated in a YGBC design workshop
Pupils’ projects are encouraged to involve the local community, fostering a sense of responsibility and connection to their surroundings. By the end of the workshop each team had identified one idea to solve the challenge they had chosen and several of the teams had an initial attempt at pitching their solutions to the rest of the year group. The feedback from pupils was incredibly positive, despite learning about some huge challenges they were invigorated and overwhelmingly felt like they were becoming agents of change. The YGBC is linked to Skills Builder and pupils develop the skills which are crucial for their personal and professional lives.
Following the Design Sprint the teams were given more time across lessons to make their ideas happen. This involved strands of market research, branding, networking, finance, marketing and prototype construction. Finally the teams were ready to pitch their solutions to their classes. Each class listened to the pitches and individually scored the ideas on achievability, innovation, climate impact, sustainability and pitch performance.
Three teams from each class were selected to go through to the Dragon’s Den, where experts from industry and academia were invited to judge the best nine ideas which would receive seed funding. Practising and then presenting their ideas boosts pupils’ confidence and helps them develop leadership qualities. The quality of pitch delivery and responses to challenging
questions from the Dragons was staggering. These 11 and 12 year old children demonstrated they understand the issues and that they believe in their ideas. By working on real-world problems, they become more conscious of their environmental impact and the importance of sustainable practices.
The Go Green Gorillas, the Fashion Frogs and a prototype wind turbine
The seed funding helps teams purchase equipment or materials for the Make it Happen phase. The final five project teams worked on their solutions in a lunchtime club with regular visits from their mentors. Last year, in our region the seed funding was provided by Northumberland County Council who also hosted a regional final in County Hall so that three teams from three local schools could each pitch to a new Dragons Den. The best team from each school was selected to go to the National Finals event towards the end of the summer term in London. At the finals the students’ work was on display and their achievements were celebrated. Eight prizes of several hundred pounds were awarded so that the winning teams can go on and develop their ideas further.
Over the past two years our two most successful teams have been the Go Green Gorillas and the Fashion Frogs which both won prizes in the finals. The Go Green Gorillas had an idea to sell plants and seeds to promote gardening in other schools. The team raised over £1700 through sales and competition wins and then gifted gardening vouchers, seeds and books on rewilding the school grounds to 17 local schools. The Fashion Frogs aimed to reduce the amount of textile waste going to landfill, so they collected and redistributed old school uniforms. Their bright idea was to use tatty items of clothing to produce branded teddy bears they can sell to school leavers. These teams have made significant contributions to their communities and serve as inspiring examples of what can be achieved through this initiative.
If the benefits of the YGBC for students are almost immeasurable, the same can be said for the teachers and school staff involved too. The challenge gives the opportunity to integrate real-world issues into the curriculum and fosters a sense of community within the school and beyond the classroom walls.
In conclusion, by participating in the YGBC you not only contribute to addressing critical environmental issues but also develop essential skills and foster a collaborative and engaging educational experience. What’s not to love about driving positive change sending ripples through the school, the community and beyond, alongside helping to prepare the next generation for a sustainable future on our rapidly changing planet?
So, did the YGBC work in my school? That’s undoubtedly a “yes”! Will the school be signing up again next year? We already have!
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