Getting young people involved in climate action
Our youth engagement project aims to reach 8,000 young people between the ages of 10 and 25 across Fife through talks, workshops, and events. Activities are open to youth groups across the region. They are completely FREE.
A brief outline of our talks and workshops is below. For more information or to book a session please contact Climate Action Fife’s Youth Worker Sean Flinn. Email sean@youth1st.co.uk.
Talks
We can give talks to larger groups of young people to raise awareness of the climate emergency. We can do this in an assembly setting or as an introduction before a workshop.
Talks include:
- What is ‘climate change’ and why should you care?: An introduction to climate change and how it is affecting the world right now.
- How everyone can make a difference: Discuss the ways young people can get involved in climate action through activities such as tree planting, beach cleans and citizen science projects and empowering them to challenge the actions of other people and companies.
- Eating for climate change: Discuss the carbon cost of the food we eat (and potentially waste) and the importance of eating local and in season.
- The Sixth Mass Extinction: What is the biodiversity crisis?: This talk connects human actions and climate change to the loss of biodiversity, both locally and across the world.
- Climate justice: A discussion on the global inequality of climate change and how it affects groups including women and LBGTQ+ people.
Time commitment: 20 minutes
Delivery: In-person
Participants: No maximum number
Age: 10-25
For more information email sean@youth1st.co.uk
Workshops
Unless otherwise stated all workshops outlined below can be one or two hours long. The one-hour sessions are specifically designed for a classroom setting. Our workshops are interactive, fun and discussion-based sessions that will give young people the knowledge and tools to tackle the climate emergency.
Workshops include:
- Nobody is too small to make a difference: A workshop designed to make sure young people feel that their voices can be heard and that they are not powerless.
- Climate anxiety and eco grief: A workshop discussing the ways we can protect ourselves from being overwhelmed and keep a cool head in a warming planet.
- Climate change simulated: a one-hour workshop with simulations and experiments to model climate change and its adverse effects. Young people will discuss how human activities connect to the symptoms of climate change.
- How personal choices make a difference: Three different workshops that address how our actions can have an adverse effect on the environment and how to mitigate our negative influence and lower our carbon footprint. The workshops cover cooking and eating (this research-based workshop requires IT access), fast fashion and shopping and climate-friendly holidays.
- The 6th mass extinction – climate change and the biodiversity crisis: Learn how climate change affecting the plants and animals of the world.
- Climate change and the marine environment: Workshop on how humans are affecting marine animals and ecosystems.
- Your climate footprint: How anyone can make a difference: Ideal for younger groups. Similar to ‘Nobody too small to make a difference’ and ‘Climate change simulated’ but with more focus on carbon footprint, games and activities.
Time commitment: 1-2 hours
Delivery: In-person
Participants: Up to 34
Age: 10-18
Awards: Young people can use these workshops to work towards a climate action Hi5 or Dynamic Youth award.
For more information email sean@youth1st.co.uk
Climate Fresk
Using a Climate Fresk designed specifically for young people, participants work as a team to find the cause and effect relationships between a set climate cards. They then use the cards to build a collage that explains climate change. This is a collaborative and creative approach. Climate Fresk is perfect for those who prefer more active and visual learning
This session can be two hours or three hours. The three-hour session includes some experiments and demonstrations that model the causes and effects of climate change.
Time commitment: 2-3 hours
Delivery: In-person
Participants: Minimum 6, maximum 24
Age: 10-25
Awards: Young people can use this session to work towards a climate action Hi5 or Dynamic Youth award.
For more information email sean@youth1st.co.uk
Pollinator surveys
We run pollinator surveys between April and September each year. Pollinating insects play a vital role in our environment. They ensure that many of our crops and wild plants are able to set seed and produce fruit. We need to know how their populations are changing as a result of the climate emergency and other factors.
Surveys aim to gather this data on a wide range of flower-visiting insects. Pollinator surveys are outdoor citizen science projects. Young people will learn how to identify and record bees, butterflies, hoverflies and other insects. Young people will also gain an appreciation for the importance of pollinators. Surveys contribute to the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme
Time commitment: 1-1.5 hours
Delivery: In-person
Participants: Up to 15
Age: 10-25
Awards: Young people can use this session to work towards a climate action Hi-5 or Dynamic Youth award.
For more information email sean@youth1st.co.uk
Events
We run events including seagrass planting, beach cleans, youth work networking events, outdoor learning and citizen science projects. See the events page for full details.
You can also keep up-to-date by following Climate Action Fife Youth Worker Sean Flinn on Facebook.
