Rotherham’s schools know how to ‘Keep it Cool’ when it comes to climate change - thanks to an activity-filled event organised by diva for World Environment Day on 5th June.
The event provided students with the opportunity to see how much they knew about the environment, through an interactive Environmental Challenge Quiz hosted by Britain’s Got Talent Semi-Finalist, Sophie Mei. The students answered questions using PDAs on a range of topics, including: energy, healthy living, heritage, built environment, transport, waste and recycling, wildlife and biodiversity.
BBC Climate Change Correspondent and Weatherman, Paul Hudson was also there to highlight current environmental issues, including the 2007 floods that submerged parts of South Yorkshire.
Aimee Ward, Campaigns Team Manager, said: “Although we may be bombarded with messages about climate change and the importance of doing our bit, figuring out how that translates into simple, everyday actions can be a challenge.
“By encouraging young people to make ambitious, achievable pledges of how they will help the environment and how they will encourage others in their community to do the same, we hope young people will continue to engage with these issues and think creatively about climate change as they grow up.”
Students were also able to see behind-the-scenes at the world’s first mobile solar-powered cinema, the ‘Groovy Movie Picture House’ with a guided tour from one of the crew members.
To complete the experience, school groups prepared pledges linked to the Local Democracy Agenda, that they could put into place in their own communities upon their return to school and that would impact positively upon the climate change agenda.
Pledges included: