Schools explore the environment at pupil led conference

Children at Horbury Bridge Academy have been doing their bit to combat climate change by spreading the word amongst schools on how they can help the environment and create a more sustainable lifestyle. 

A group of Year 6 Young Leaders and Eco-Rangers invited other schools to attend a Global Goals school conference and were happy to host workshops with Middlestown Primary Academy, West Bretton School and Horbury St Peters and Clifton Primary School. 

The group throughout the year have been looking at a range of sustainable goals set by the United Nations and have run various initiatives to make the school community aware of environmental issues. This conference was a culmination of that work. 

The conference started with a speech from Mrs Mary Creagh MP who encouraged the children to be aware of such issues as plastic and clothing waste. The hosts then ran 5 workshops: Blue Planet, Eat Well, Break the Chains, Whats in your trolley and Catch your dreams. 

"Blue Planet" focused on the different ways life below water is being damaged by plastic waste, over fishing and industrial pollution. "Eat Well" concentrated on having a healthy diet and eating the correct proportions of each food group. The children made a couscous and chick peas salad. 
Whilst making a dream catcher out of waste the children were encouraged to think about what went into landfill and re-use, recycle, repair, re-think, refuse and reduce. 

Delegates also looked at the plight of children around the world and the way they are exploited through child labour situations. They heard how children work very long hours in dangerous situation and made a paper chain reflecting the chains of slavery on which they wrote their feelings and how this situation could be changed.

In the closing speech 11 year old Oliver Bostwick said, "Just like a chain we all have links with people across the world and also links with the environment.

"We are fortunate to have an education and time to play. We ask you to remember those children whose situations are very different to us.

"Child labour is modern day slavery and those chains MUST be broken."

He and his co-speaker Dan Simpson then encouraged the visiting school children to break the paper chain with the thought that everyone can make a difference. 

Thomas, a year 5 delegate from St Peter's said of the event,  "I enjoyed it as we did different things not just one specific thing. All the activities were fun and unique. I learnt that we should look after our planet and there are a lot of things wrong. "
 

 

Powered by Church Edit