CHILDREN ACROSS BRITAIN UNITE TO FORM FIRST NATIONAL YOUTH ECO-COMMITTEE

A passionate group of youngsters aged ten to 18 have become members of Keep Britain Tidy’s first-ever national youth Eco-Committee.

The scheme will see 22 young people from around the country working with Keep Britain Tidy’s Eco-Schools programme with assistance from UK qualifications body OCR (Oxford Cambridge RSA) to 'green' the National Curriculum and input into the development of the Eco-Schools programme. 

The Eco-Schools team has been incredibly impressed by the dedication and determination of the young members, who are pictured above.

One of its youngest members, Ella, ten, said: “I think it is important to learn about the environment in school to understand the impact of climate change and pollution and how human actions have affected the world in the past and could affect it in the future.

“Learning about the environment encourages us to be reflective and opens up questions and discussions about what we do and why we do it. It also encourages us to review how our school and families are protecting the environment and if we could do more.

“As well as learning about the negative impact humans have had, it is also a time to celebrate all the good things that people are doing and to spread the word about the need to take action.” 

Ashley, 18, adds: "I wanted become a member of the National Eco-Committee because I believe that the curriculum should be modified to accommodate for the current situation we live in, focused on key issues in the 21st century, including climate change, to ensure that future generations are equipped with a broad set of skills and information to tackle these complex issues.

"I want green themes to be integrated into Mathematics, Engineering, Arts, History etc because everyone plays a role in helping protect planet Earth and they need to have a good understanding of green themes to create the right policies as politicians, build sustainable structures as engineers, and run environmentally friendly companies as businessmen."

Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said: “Educating the next generation is vital to ensuring that they do a better job of protecting our environment and tackling the climate crisis.

“We hope that engaging with these amazing and inspiring young people across Britain through the National Eco-Committee will contribute to their wider environmental education and enable them to take on the challenges we are all facing when it comes to creating a sustainable future for everyone.”

Their first meeting will take place online on Monday, December 20th, 2021.