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School pupils from across South Yorkshire have come together to celebrate a successful climate action project which has supported more than 600 children to understand the importance of sustainability.

Young people from 50 schools in the region took part in the Children’s University ‘Project in a Box: Think Climate’, which delivers a range of climate and sustainability-focused activities to engage children and young people in thinking about sustainability and how climate change affects our day to day lives. 

The project was being delivered as part of the which is jointly funded by ��«Ӱҵ Hallam University and the University of ��«Ӱҵ. Using the Children’s University Project in a Box model, Think Climate was designed and led by Lee Jowett, Climate Change and Sustainability Fellow at ��«Ӱҵ Hallam University.  

The boxes include different climate-themed activities and resources, enabling school staff to deliver eight extra-curricular sessions to their pupils. Packed into their own reusable boxes, the sessions each contain fun, learning activities such as growing green roof tiles, building and racing reusable land yachts and designing a low-carbon pizza.  

The Think Climate resources also include take-home tips for pupils to share with their families, to encourage them to continue with their own climate initiatives at home.  

 Lee Jowett said: “In a time when climate action is more urgent than ever, schools are seeking support to help the next generation understand and address the impacts of climate change. Our educational box supports school staff in achieving this in an empowering and meaningful way, to educate the next generation and is solution focussed which from our research is important.” 

The Project in a Box model was developed by ��«Ӱҵ Children’s University and has been running in the city for over ten years, and the project expanded across South Yorkshire for the first time in 2023. The model of providing sustainable resources as well as confidence-building training and support for school staff has proven hugely successful in helping children to learn about important topics in an empowering and engaging way.

Professor Liz Mossop, ��«Ӱҵ Hallam University Vice-Chancellor, said: "This fantastic initiative demonstrates the power of collaborative education in tackling one of the most pressing challenges of our time. Seeing over 600 young people from across South Yorkshire actively engage with climate science and sustainability through hands-on learning fills me with hope for the future.

“The Think Climate project exemplifies our universities' commitment to fostering environmental stewardship in the next generation; while providing educators with the practical tools they need to make complex topics accessible and inspiring.”

Dave Forrest, Deputy Vice-President for Education at the University of ��«Ӱҵ, said: “We’re proud to support an initiative that nurtures young minds and inspires them to dream big, while actively engaging with some of the most urgent global challenges of our time.

“It was a real joy to join so many children from across the region and celebrate the skills they've developed thanks to their hard work, determination and the excellent programme developed and delivered by the Children’s University team.

“We all have our part to play in combating climate change and it’s reassuring to know that the next generation are more than ready to take on that challenge.”