Sustainable Schools: Recent Episodes
eduCCate Global
Sustainable Schools Virtual Summit. A rolling summit with insights from Headteachers, Teachers, Business Managers, Education Specialists, Pupils, Eco-Clubs and more as to how they have transitioned their schools into sustainable, climate literacy and cross-curricular climate curriculum Centres of Excellence with eduCCate Global.
Prof. Charalee GRAYDON, JD, PhDAssociate Professor of Mediation and Law
EUCLID (Euclid University / Pôle Universitaire Euclide)
Charalee Graydon was born in Alberta, Canada. She is a writer, journalist, academic and past lawyer. Her academic work is in the areas of mediation and conflict resolution and climate change education. She is a faculty member at Euclid University.
Charalee holds degrees in Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science, and a Juris Doctorate in Law. Following receipt of a Rhodes scholarship in 1982, she pursued legal studies in Oxford, England where she obtained a B.C. L degree. She held academic positions in England, New Zealand, and Canada, and practiced law in Canada.
She has published three books of literary fiction and one of which has been translated to Spanish. She has published a children’s book, Life on Planet Earth: My Story and is scheduled to publish a non-fiction book, Creating a Masterpiece: The Arts and Conflict Resolution in 2021
0 (0s):
Hello, everybody. Welcome to the sustainable schools, virtual summits. And we have an amazing guest here today. This is Charalee Graydon. She's not just any old Charalee Graydon!!. and she is professor Charlie Graydon. She's a very special lady and she is going to take the floor and you are all going to be very intrigued and glued to either your screen or the audio of this podcast to listen to what she has to say today. Welcome sourly.
1 (36s):
Thank you so much, Melanie. That was a, a beautiful introduction. I appreciate it very much. I am just an ordinary Charale Graydon. I've written a few blogs, but, and I've done a few, you know, lots of teaching, but other than that, I am an ordinary Charalee Graydon. What I'm here today is to talk about some of the books that I have written, particularly in the last one that was just published, which is a book about the creative arts and a calling it's called creating a masterpiece, the creative arts and climate change, the creative arts and, and climate change conflict.
1 (1m 18s):
So in that sense, what we're trying to do is talk about how to deal with conflicts that are arising because of climate change and how the creative arts can add impact to, to help deal with these conflicts. Not only by you'll, you'll hear me talking about the different ways we can do this. So that is the first book that I'm glad to talk about. And most recently I've been working on a children's book. So this is, I'm going to say the first book creating a masterpiece, the creative arts and climate change conflict would be more for an adult audience. So either an upper ever upper level audience.
1 (2m 0s):
So I would say from six at pro, approximately 15, 16, 17 years old. And then the second book that that we're working on is about to be published today or tomorrow will be one that's called life on planet earth. My story. And that is a book that, that has the children telling their stories. So the reader that is the child reader, who is using this book is going to tell their story based on the designs and billboards that are provided to the job. So those are the two books that I'd like to talk about today. Some of the other books that I've written or, or different types of work, more fiction books, but those are the two that I want to speak about today.
1 (2m 48s):
So perhaps I can go to the first book, which is creating, you know, creating a masterpiece. Now people will say, now, what is it? She's not a painter. She's not, you know, she tries to do Jack she's tries to be a Jack of all trades. You know, she's a writer and you know, she, she's a, you know, she's an author, she's a university professor, et cetera, et cetera. So what is it scraping a masterpiece? Well, the masterpiece is really what people can do because we are facing, as we know a global challenge of climate change, that is the major challenge I'm going to say,
THE CLIMATE SCIENCE IS CLEAR
WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME
Are you and your school equipped to prepare your students to navigate and succeed in this climate-challenged world?
eduCCate Global is ready to empower every teacher in every school around the world, to incorporate climate change education (Climate Literacy, Carbon Literacy, Transition and Transformation) into every curriculum so that schools can be community leaders for climate action.
So far, we’ve upskilled teachers in more than 349,000 schools in 43 countries. In 2021 we plan to certify another 6 million schools; the equivalent of 100 million teachers.
Graham Williams, CMC, B.Com Hons, B.A. is on the Council of the International Mananagement Consultants and Master Coaches of South Africa (IMCSA), a certified management consultant and executive master coach, thought provoker, speaker and author of 9 business books who has worked in over 40 countries and many sectors around the world. He is a management contributor to 12Manage (the World's foremost management network). An essential component of his ‘motivational fingerprint’ is to overcome severe organisational blockages by installing creative, healing solutions – from concept to implementation. Special interest areas are building resilience, and embedding character virtues and sustainability practices in organisational culture. He makes use of narrative, anecdote and metaphor as critical contributors to successful business interventions. Graham comes from humble beginnings, grew up in Woodstock, Cape Town, began his academic career after marrying and while raising a family , and believes strongly in finding practical solutions to challenges. Prior to launching his own business, while with Shell, He conducted customer service studies at AT&T Universal Card, Agway, Fedex, Disney World, Duke Power, Thames Water Board, LL Bean, Pepsi, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Group, MIT. He developed the first Motorway Service Area in South Africa, the first multi-task Customer Contact Centre in the Shell Group, the first margin-management, price-elasticity system for Shell UK, and served as a member of the re-engineering team.
HIS PURPOSE IS TO CREATE THE SPACE FOR ORGANISATIONS (and their members) TO HEAL
I contribute regularly to a number of hard copy and online magazines including Culture University, Human Capital Review, Leadership and Change Magazine.
Andrew Stein
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN
Andrew Stein founded the Orphaned Starfish Foundation in 2001 to help orphans, victims of abuse, survivors of trafficking, indigenous populations, refugees and at-risk youth worldwide escape their cycles of poverty and abuse through education and job training. From humble beginnings building a small computer vocational training center in an orphanage for young victims of abuse in Santiago, Chile, he has built the Foundation to now serve over 15,000 children in 68 programs in 29 countries: American Samoa, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, United States & Uruguay. Andy has partnered with local organizations in each of these countries, including Save the Children, Rotary Club, and USAID. Around the world he is known as Tio Andy or Tio Mago. Andy makes yearly visits to each Orphaned Starfish program. Mago is Spanish for Magician. He brings a magic show complete with balloon animals for all the children. (His highest amount recorded was 1,000 balloon animals in one sitting.) His visits also allow for a personal connection not only to the children but to the institutions and their directors and teachers. For his work helping the children of the favelas of Brazil, Andy was awarded an Honorary Citizenship in Rio De Janeiro by their Congress. In the United States, he has also been awarded the Jefferson Award for Community Service, the key to the city of Miami Beach, and several other state and local honors. He and the Orphaned Starfish Foundation have been featured on CBS News, Fox News, ABC News, Telemundo and Univision as well as in the Wall Street Journal, Miami Herald, Star Ledger, Jewish Week and US Magazine. Andy has also been a member of the Benefit Committees for Aleh Foundation, National Academy for the Arts, US Doctors for Africa, and Harlem’s Playing 2 Win Foundation. Prior to his work with Orphaned Starfish, Andy was active in Special Olympics, Rotary Club and Counterpart International. Andy Stein is also currently President and CEO of Makopastreet Partners, LLC. Makopastreet Partners provides senior debt financing for luxury and ultra-luxury hotel, and mixed-use developments, as well as infrastructure projects worldwide. In addition, Makopastreet Partners coordinates all stages of development for luxury and ultra-luxury hotel and mixed-use developments in the Americas, with a focus on the United States, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Andy has been a featured speaker at several industry conferences worldwide and has been a guest professor on the topic of international hotel finance at Wharton for the past several years. From 1993 – 1996, Andy was based in Manila, Philippines as the Joint Head of Corporate Finance for Chase’s (formerly Chemical Bank’s) Manila Branch. During his tenure in Manila, Andy developed the Bank’s project finance and hospitality expertise in the Philippines. Andy also was instrumental in the execution of the Brady Plan bonds, which restructured the bank debt of several Latin American and Asian countries. Andy holds a B.A. in Economics and International Relations from the University of Virginia. Andy has two sons, both very much involved with Orphaned Starfish Foundation. Andy spends his time between New York City and Miami when not traveling for the Foundation.
John BunzlJohn Bunzl is a global political activist and businessman. In 2000, he founded the Simultaneous Policy (Simpol) campaign, a way for citizens to use their votes to drive politicians towards global cooperation. It has supporters in over 100 countries and enjoys the support of a growing number of Members of Parliament around the world. He has authored or co-authored a number of books including Monetary Reform – Making it Happen!, People-centred Global Governance – Making it Happen!, and Global Domestic Politics. He has published numerous articles on global governance in the Journal of Integral Theory & Practice. He has lectured widely, including to The Schumacher Society, The World Trade Organisation, The Lucis Trust, and various universities.
- Our achievements at GCS with Sustainability and the Carbon Footprint Buster challenges.
- Our journey to achieve the ‘Bronze Award’.
- The positive involvement and response of the GCS student, staff and parent community.
- Our continued efforts inspite of covid.
At GCS we have
- Conducted grade wise assembly for the students on sustainability.
- Published the Sustainability Newsletter to the GCS community.
- Celebrated Sustainability Week.
- Conducted an elocution competition for the secondary school students on the topic ‘voice your concerns’.
- Celebrated ‘Harvest Day’ for the students.
- Conducted a poster making competition with the theme. ‘Plant a Legacy’.
- Created our own organic garden.
- Created display/notice board on sustainability.
- Appointed a student committee.
- Conducted regular meetings with the student and staff.
- Have involved the entire GCS community students, staff and parents.
- Have reviewed best possible ways of reducing electricity and water consumption.
- Collaborated with sister school to share our work on sustainability and encourage them to be a part of the same. A presentation was created to share our contribution towards sustainability by the Students Leadership Team.
- Collaborated with UNCCE for participating in various sustainability challenges.
- Interacted with teachers at GCS to include sustainability in our day to day lessons.
- Embedded sustainability topics in our lessons.
Franziska ElmerResearch Fellow
School for Field Studies
Franziska Elmer PhD is a research fellow with School for Field Studies at the Center for Marine Resource Studies in South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands and one of the hosts and the executive producer of the Sargassum Podcast. She has spent much of her career in the Caribbean, including volunteer work and an internship at STENAPA in St. Eustatius and faculty positions at CIEE in Bonaire and SFS in South Caicos. Furthermore, she serves as treasurer for the Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean and is an Island Innovation Ambassador. Her research focusses are on coral recruitment, stony coral tissue loss disease and the impact of Sargassum beaching events on ecosystems and local communities.
In 2020, Franziska gave TEDx talk in Luzern: How a Marine Biologist Became a Climate Pirate. Since January 2020, Franziska has been on a climate change sabbatical in which she volunteers for various projects working help to solve this crisis.
Speaks About
- My talk will focus on Sargassum, a macroalgae that became hyperabundant in the last 10 years due to climate change and agricultural runoff. I will focus on how this negatively affected the Caribbean and West Africa but also show how we could use this abundant algae to make all kinds of products and drawdown carbon.
- I have been active in sustainability clubs for the last 15 years and studying and teaching environmental and marine science. Schools can be powerful changemakers and are a great place to educate about climate change across curiculums as it is ecological, technical and social problem with solutions in all these sectors. The best way to make your school more sustainable is to form a team and get to work. A great resource to follow when you are starting is the climate action challenge book and workbook (https://www.climateactionchallenge.net/book)
Ambassador and Panelist for International Children's Month - have conducted and will be regularly conducting children's sessions on peace, love, and respect and care for all children and children's rights.
I am Erfan Firouzi and I am 16. I have always loved the natural world, and so started researching scientifically on animals and plants within the past 6 years or so.
Within the past 6 years of my research I have been to different habitats that provided a home for different Creatures from insects, all the way to the humpback whales. Within the last few years I have also been creating videos, podcasts and online classes in order to help spread an awareness about our living planet, while at the same time using my animal and plant specimens to create an awareness to children and adults across the globe.”
I was at first inspired by Sir David Attenborough and till today he is my role model, As Sir David Attenborough says: "An understanding of the natural world and what's in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfillment." I believe that until people understand how the natural works, they won’t pay time or care about it. We need to understand, to care and care, to save.
Despite learning many, many new things, I also learned that the natural world is dramatically fragile, yet if given the chance and care it can recover beyond or imagination, and since then I have been working extra hard, by creating documentaries about the natural world, organizing online classes, participating in Environmental campaigns and also spreading much more awareness in the younger generations by getting them closer to the natural world with the help of my preserved zoology and botany specimens.
It has also been a great opportunity to be able to be a part of the top 100 wildlife blogger crowds in the world, who are making the world a better place and also participating in the ECO heroes award, and a more immense opportunity to be able to contact different natural agencies in the UAE (environmental Abu Dhabi, Nautica Environmental Assoc.) and also being able to join in the sustainable schools UAE zoom meetings and also being able to hear and speak to sir Robert Swan in a meeting.
I have also been sharing my passion for wildlife and the natural history, In science events like GIC in gems modern academy and I have also been organizing my own nature events one of which is my new group documentary called Earth Our Living Planet and also a group that I recently organized called nature ambassadors.
I truly love and admire Sir David Attenborough, he is my role model and the person who inspired me to become a young naturalist, researcher, conservationist and to spread awareness about our beautiful natural environments.”
“Our living planet is truly a very unique place, it provides with our daily needs and supports during hard times. I t is now the time that we support our planet and its unique biodiversity.”
and I want to be Sir David Attenborugh one day, a successful scientist, environmentalist, conservationist and naturalist
Alexis EyreSustainable Marketing Consultant
Green Eyre
Certified sustainable marketing consultant specialising in strategy, purpose, events and partnerships. I have marketing experience in all three sides of the triangle – media owner, client and agency side.
Having worked across a number of industries, the global marine industry is where I have spent most of my time.
My mission is to help companies produce impactful marketing without the big footprint.
Speaks About
- Everything a school does and says externally, internally and in all the educational material needs to depict a sustainable lifestyle if we are going to move forwards.
- Sustainability needs to be normalised. It needs to be made not only acceptable but aspirational. Every image, every word said, every word read needs to be re considered if we are going to have the maximum effect.
- Schools can be enormous change makers. People attend school to learn and absorb information. Let's make sure it is the right information.
Kenneth KwokFounder and CEO of Global Citizen Capital
Mr. Kenneth Kwok is the Founder and CEO of Global Citizen Capital, an impact-oriented multi-family office venture based out of Hong Kong focused on healthcare, technology, renewables and education. He is also a serial entrepreneur, co-founding the MXA Group and Family Mask (for-profit), and Better Together Foundation, Asia World Anti-Aging and Well-Being Association, and KIDsforSDGs (non-profit).
Kenneth has worked 15 years in the finance industry, serving as the CIO to a large Chinese listed conglomerate as well as a financial professional at UBS AG and Deutsche Bank in the investment banking and equities divisions. He has a cum laude dual degree from University of Pennsylvania and The Wharton School of Business, speaks fluent English, Mandarin, Cantonese and conversational French. He has lived in Hong Kong, Taipei, Beijing, Tokyo, Vancouver, Philadelphia, New York and London.
He is passionate about social impact work through his Better Together Foundation, which supports minority communities and youth entrepreneurship related initiatives across Asia, and about health and well-being through his Co-President role at Asia World Anti-Aging and Well-Being Association ("AWAWA"). He is deeply passionate about the United Nations and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and is a United Nations Global Compact member, a UNDP Accelerator Labs mentor, a Youth Councilor at World Humanitarian Forum, a World Economic Forum member in Global Innovators and UpLink communities, as well as UPenn Class Board Member.
Speaks About
- We are in the Decade of Action, and the time is now. Collectively, KIDsforSDGs have launched a series of in-person and online workshops on how to transform society through learning with Education and Innovation for Sustainable Development in Asia. Our ongoing for-profit and non-profit work, focused on experience-based learning, with schools, other educational organizations and youth communities in the region have been recognized by the UN SDG Action Campaign.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tragic impact on human life around the world: killing hundreds of thousands of people, causing global economic decline and school closures in over 180 countries. It has challenged the structures of our societies and our ways of life. This disruption also presents a historic chance to redesign our societies and reroute from the current path. Adding on systemic inequalities which have prevented the fair and equitable distribution of educational resources to all, this issue is exponentially compounded for the marginalized communities.
- We as a community have to call upon both public and private sector to “build back better”, and change education to meet the climate emergency through the SDGs and the Agenda 2030. We should reassess what we learn, where we learn and how we learn to ensure we develop the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that enable us to make informed decisions and actions on global problems such as the climate crisis and the COVID-19 crisis. This is done through Impact = Innovation x Inclusion principle of KIDsforSDGs, by open-sourcing technology generously contributed by Fortune 500 companies and start-ups alike, and making them available, accessible and affordable to all.
My name is Sania Anand and I am currently 15 years old. I have grown up in the city of Mumbai, watching it rapidly transform into a concrete jungle. Living in this industrialized city in a developing nation, I have heard of numerous floods, heatwaves, droughts and pollution that have robbed thousands of their lives and livelihood. My curious nature drove me to investigate the cause of these disasters and further developed my understanding of global climate change. I was shocked to learn that despite knowing the consequences of their actions, businesses continue to exploit natural resources, release pollutants and destroy the environment in the name of economic growth. Understanding that my actions, driven by the theory of consumerism might be responsible for the hardships others are facing conflicted with my values and I knew that something had to be done.
From personal experience, I know the importance of instilling the values of preserving our earth in children and providing them with accurate information to empower them to spark change. We as children have the advantage of viewing the world in a different light and have a vision that isn’t blurred by corruption and greed. All we need is the opportunity to access information, share our ideas and most importantly, teachers who are aware of effects the current climate crisis is going to have on our way of life and hope that we will be able to combat it.
In the time I have interacted with my classmates and people in my community on the topic of sustainability and individual action, I have found that most people are simply not aware of the negative effects global climate change is having on our health and daily lives. I have also discovered that by providing individuals with information and encouraging the small actions they take to lead sustainable lives, we can help mould them into activists, with innovative solutions, advocating for change.
As many say, children are the future of our planet and by empowering them with knowledge, training and opportunities, we might be able to achieve the seemingly, elusive dream, of a sustainable and equitable future.
In my speech I mention the power of choice we as privileged individuals and consumers have. We have the ability to pressurize the private sector to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and change their production and packaging methods.
It is vital that we realize that no one is too young to influence change and that the first step towards a more sustainable future is harnessing the power of education and the power of choice.
Anna Turns is a journalist specialising in sustainability with 20 years’ experience working in the media and an Oxford University degree in biology. She writes regularly for publications such as Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, Positive News, Resurgence and Coast. Anna’s work falls into the realms of constructive journalism – she focuses on progress, innovation and solutions, often highlighting untold stories about changemakers from around the world in the features she writes for the press. Anna is currently writing a book about the toxic chemicals in our homes and joining the dots between how they impact us and the health of the planet. Alongside her young daughter, she co-founded Plastic Clever Salcombe, part of the national, child-led Kids Against Plastic initiative and saw first-hand the importance of excellent environmental education from an early age.
Talk focused on:
- The power of integration – why we need to see the bigger picture and join the dots because everything is connected.
- The importance of foresight – we need to plan ahead, educate and retrain in readiness for a greener, more circular economy.
- There is so much possibility for positive change and effective action if we get our house in order now!
Robin Happel is originally from east Tennessee, near the center of coal country. She has worked with the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, the Bronx Zoo, the UN Environment Programme, and other NGOs devoted to sustainable development. She has also represented the UN Association at the 2020 High-Level Political Forum, the UN Youth Climate Summit, the Global Climate Action Summit, and currently as a Global Goals Ambassador for Climate Action.
As an environmental law student, Robin is deeply passionate about environmental and climate justice, and helping to ensure a just transition for coal country and other frontline communities around the world. During law school, she has collaborated with Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change on emerging climate litigation pathways, and has also worked on climate risk and indigenous rights.
Speaks About
- Puzzled by the Paris Agreement? Learn more about climate law in this friendly, entry-level explainer video that's geared towards students, not just barristers and attorneys
- Climate law is an emerging area of litigation around the world. In this video, learn how climate law intersects with securities law, international human rights law, and other UN frameworks
I believe we can rise, phoenix-like, from today's burning global challenges. All of us, and our children, can thrive in the coming decades, because we can build a regenerative global economy, an ecosystem of regenerative businesses.
Today I apply the expertise gathered across three careers (particle physicist, manager with Procter and Gamble, serial startup founder) to bring that vision to reality. I incubate regenerative startups; am starting a seed stage investment fund for ecosystems of regenerative startups; consult to multi-nationals and start-ups on harnessing conflict to drive their own regeneration; and I have just published "Rebuild: the Economy, Leadership, and You, a toolkit for builders of a better world."
Speaks About
- The practical actions we can take to grow ourselves bigger than our challenges, build profitable impact businesses, and a regenerative circular global economy to rise to the challenges of the Climate Emergency, the 17 UN SDG, etc
Energy Transition Engineering: I am very interested in the new methodologies and tools needed to change existing systems to rapidly shift away from fossil fuels. I have carried out research on every type of renewable and alternative energy technology, and sustainable energy systems. I have developed the Interdisciplinary Transition Management Engineering (InTIME) Methodology and lead an international group in the emerging field. Like Safety Engineering, Transition Engineering actions social responsibility and sound science to deliver change projects that down-shift the exposure to fossil fuel supply and climate change risks. I am interested in research in energy transition of buildings, cities, transportation and freight. I have also worked with rural and remote communities on sustainable development.
Speaks About
- Her research interests are in energy systems - in particular the large scale changes to existing complex energy systems required to meet the requirements for mitigation of global warming.
- She has proposed a new specialization in engineering called "Transition Engineering" which works in this space: projects to adapt and change existing systems in the forward operating environment.
Matthew BenjaminFounder of Kapes
Matthew Benjamin is the British founder of Kapes, a UAE born sustainable school uniforms brand, catering to schools globally. Having spent the last 3 years building and running sustainable bespoke menswear tailor, Benjamin Siggers, his desire to have a positive impact on a larger scale grew. Learning all he could about the impact that manufacturing clothing has on the earth, Matthew decided to take his learnings into developing sustainable school uniforms.
Armed with the tools and knowledge acquired from Benjamin Siggers, and prior to this, while launching and managing an office for Tom James, the world’s largest custom clothing company, Matthew is now able to further develop his passion for finding sustainable solutions within textiles and adapt this to school uniforms through his work with Kapes.
Through Kapes, Matthew hopes to play an integral role in empowering children to become change-makers, using Kapes as a tool to educate children about sustainability, encouraging them to be more connected to the things they buy, those who make them, and the places they are made. As these children become adults, they will inevitably be more conscious consumers, educating the generations to come through setting an example. By creating a new standard in the school uniforms market for quality, sustainability, and transparency, Matthew hopes to make a difference and disrupt the market.
Speaks About
- Helping schools reduce their environmental impact by switching to sustainable school uniforms
- Climate Crisis awareness to empower children to be more connected to the things they wear and buy, the people that make these things, the places they are made, and the impact that this has both environmentally and socially
- Generation of conscious consumers who will help us get out of a situation that previous generations created.
The Opening Plenary of the SCOPE 2020 Event: Welcome address by Mrs. Asha Alexander, Principal and Executive Leader Climate Change, GEMS Dubai Key note address by Mr. Niclas Svenningsen, Manager – United Nations Climate Change, Global Climate Action, Germany Speech by Ms. Licypriya Kangujam, child environmental activist, India. Address by Ms. Zenna Hopson, ZA Partners, erstwhile Chairperson of Ofsted Speech by Syed Kifa Bukhari, child environmental activist, KGS Key note address by Mr. Angus Mackay, Director, Division for Planet Manager, Green Development and Climate Change, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Video Story on Sustainability Address by Ms. Melanie Harwood, Co-founder Harwood Education and eduCCate Global Speech by Ms. Leah Nabugerva, youth activist, Uganda Address by Mr. Dino Varkey, CEO GEMS Education
Award Winning Biologist and Educator
Scotland, UK
Award winning teacher and creator of Wild Planet Explorers, Joanna will speak about why and how to use multi-sensory activities to enhance the pupil's learning especially when it comes to learning about the SDGs.
As a biologist and conservationist, Joanna's mission is to inspire pupils to become naturalists, biologists, zoologists, conservationists, wildlife photographers, and educators.
Speaks About
- Supporting learners’ recovery with Joanna’s ‘Wild Planet Explorers’ series and improving pupil engagement through movement and exploration.
- How a Blended Learning/Flexi-physical Schooling approach is going to ensure we deliver the scientists and biologists for the Green Economy.
ECO ClubThe Westminster School, UAE
eduCCate Global Eco-Leaders Secondary
Celia Maneia, Aaminah Patel and Aliza Muzaffer came from different subject backgrounds in Year 10 that exposed us to the grave environmental issues around the globe. Later they found that they shared a common interest in regards to taking an action against climate change as a whole. Hence, in Year 11 they formed a team under the guidance of Ms.Vijiaya Kumari Sathyan and Ms.Nilambari Gokhale, who appointed them as the Green Ambassadors of the Westminster School, Dubai.
For their initiative, they agreed that schools are the most optimal places to tackle environmental issues, and promote a sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyle. Their vision is to tackle three main agendas which are to promote a sustainable fashion system, reduce, reuse, and recycle plastic and paper. They believed that the textile industry is one of the top contributors to global warming and land waste, along with plastics taking the lead on all three fronts of air, water and land pollution. While conserving paper is key, as trees are a necessity to maintaining a balanced and healthy ecosystem. We also intend to take our vision nationwide to other schools.
Overall, they aim to pursue a more sustainable and self-sufficient path throughout all school procedures and processes by reducing textile waste through the implementation of cloth bags instead of plastic bags, and ensuring plastic free grounds to the extent of the school’s capabilities. As well as, reducing more than 80% of paper used by schools, and guarantee the firm establishment of basic practices for saving paper in our routine lives. They expect staff, students and parents to understand the financial and environmental benefits that arise from the application of their sustainable vision, and to be more active in promoting eco-friendly practices.
Speaks About
- Promoting and building eco-consciousness about paper, plastics and textile throughout all stakeholders.
- Pursuing a more sustainable and self-sufficient path throughout all school procedures and processes.
- Ensuring staff and students, within school and outside, be educated on climate change causes and impacts.
Head of School at the
Westminster School, Dubai
With her primary passion as teaching and starting her career as an educator, Ms Sathyan has been associated with GEMS for the past 27 years and she continues to teach IGCSE Chemistry at TWS. Her educational qualifications include a degree of Master of Science in Chemistry, a Bachelor of Education (Physical Science) degree from universities in India. She also holds a degree of Master of Science in Educational Leadership and Management from the Manchester Metropolitan University (UK).
Besides pursuing her PhD in Educational Leadership and Management, Vijaya Kumari is also a Coaching Clinic Licensed Facilitator, Corporate Coach. Her passion is to make her school sustainable and to ensure all her students are not only a part of the solution but will also lead in the making of their own sustainable future. To achieve this she uses the platform of eduCCate Global, UK, which is a not-for-profit organisation.
Speaks About
- How her school worked throughout the COVID-19 lockdown to produce five Sustainability and Climate Change Leadership Teams
- From Fear to Sustainable Safety: The current trialling of two Blended Learning Online programmes to increase global awareness and protect children’s futures from disease and disaster.
Principal; M.S. in Educational Leadership
Principal at GEMS The Kindergarten Starters, Dubai, and the Executive Leader of Climate Change at GEMS Education, Asha Alexander received her Master of Science in Educational Leadership from The Walden University, Minnesota, in 2011. She holds Masters' degrees in Education as well as English from the Bangalore University, India. With 33 years of experience in the provision of education to K-12 students, she has overseen the school's transition to an exclusively digital curriculum.
Passionate, driven to achieve aspirational goals and ready to take on any challenge, she believes in nurturing students' hearts and minds and is particular about a value-based education. Forward thinking, she is a believer in all things digital. She is excited by the prospect of watching every child achieve his or her potential. Ms Alexander is an eduCCate Global Sustainability and Climate Change Leader and has made presentations at COP 25 as well as numerous other international webinars and conferences. She has conducted workshops on leadership and change management for several schools in India and in the UAE.
Speaks About
- Why climate change education is more important than ever for vulnerable people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
- How we became the first school to train every member of staff to be an EduCCate Global climate change teacher and the media attention that brought climate change education into the mainstream.
Business Manager for a Multi-Academy Trust and passionate about saving her schools lots of money by being more environmentally aware/savvy. Margaret talks about the most basic measures that every school can adopt to save thousands of Pounds each year! Her dedication to delivering sustainability in all the schools in her MAT is not only interesting but exciting to take on board. She shares how she did it, what she wants to achieve and why, the ease with which every school can deliver similar strategies and the powerful results of sustainable practices. Money talks and when schools can save tons of money by simply switching off lights, we all need to listen. Lots of tips and great ideas that really do work in this talk. Margaret is a trailblazer and we see her delivering Sustainability & Cost Saving Training to ALL School Business Managers in the very near future!
Speaks About
- Building Trust and developing relationships
- Understanding and guiding the Trust to reduce its carbon footprint
- Inspiring and supporting practical action in all our schools
- Seeking out and building environmental relationships and partnerships outside of their
Trust to create new opportunities for all their students
Greentech Energy Consultant
Following a 40 year career in energy production operations worldwide I followed an immersion program in transition and transformative energy engineering solutions. Starting with MIT Boston's Entrepreneurs Growth Program in 2011 this stimulated a comprehensive learning program of MOOC university courses promoting critical analysis of present global energy issues and practical field studies undertaken in Africa and the Far East.
Speaks About
- Like Albert Einstein, children instinctively know they cannot solve todays problems with the same thinking that was used when their forefathers made them. Meeting the inventors and solutions of tomorrow requires they discover new ideas and innovation for themselves so they can create their future.
- So where do they look for solutions? BrandNewDay2020 educates genius in harmony with a Greentech 21st century of thoughtful meditation and actions which gives life to its joy.
- BrandNewDay educating genius.
Headteacher/Principal of a school in Uganda. Sara Namutebi talks about Sustainability and the struggles her pupils, their parents and community have experienced as a direct result of unsustainable practices during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Uganda. She talks about education and climate literacy being the one item that is at the very top of her wishlist. Internet, technology, gender and how we need to help with training, skills transfer, knowledge, books, learning, sharing of books and more. This is a moving interview and we do warn sensitive viewers that it contains shocking testimony about rape of children collecting firewood to cook their daily meal.
Speaks About
- The disturbing results of the COVID19 Lockdown on children in rural regions in Uganda, Africa. Abuse, homelessness, lost learning, digital access for only the elite and wealthiest whilst the poorest have no phones and no access to data.
- The children raped whilst collecting firewood and the more than 500 rape related pregnancies of children now locked out of the education system altogether due to shame and societal barriers.
- Unsustainable living practices and lack of knowledge to use solar cookers, efficient food cooking low tech solutions.
- Books, Chairs, Tables, Computers and access to the internet in a school in Uganda. How they cope and what their Recovery Strategy will be.
Melati Wijsen is a 19-year-old full time changemaker from Indonesia. She founded Bye Bye Plastic Bags when she was 12 years old with her younger sister and has been leading the movement driven by youth since 2013. She also started the people movement One Island One Voice and the social enterprise, Mountain Mamas.
Melati has spoken on world stages such as TED and the UN and has also been selected as FORBES top ten most inspiring women in the country. She graduated from high school one year early at the Green School and has since been honored by TIME as part of the most influential teens in the world along with CNN Heroes Young Wonders and FORBES 30 under 30. Today, Melati is excited about her new youth empowerment project; YOUTHTOPIA, empowering youth through meaningful and short peer to peer programs and providing them the tools they need to be young changemakers.
Speaks About
- How to be a successful youth climate activist.
- How she mobilised all the NGO's, Charities, Agencies and Activists in Malaysia to insist on the banning of single use plastic bags and WON!
Lisa Dionne Pugh is a trained Food Technology & Art teacher. She lives off-grid.
eduCCate Global Sustainability & Climate Change Lead Teacher, Environmentalist, Conservationist
Speaks About...
-
The Revolutionary Programme she has built and trialled with a group of schools in the United Kingdom, that delivers measurable tracking of each participants’ personal carbon footprint reduction.
-
How she is now joining forces with eduCCate Global and including the Carbon Footprint Buster Programme as part of the eduCCate Global Bronze Award outline.
Headteacher
Holme Grange School -Wokingham
Speaks About
- The need to cultivating curiosity, a sense of awe and wonder, an appreciation of the world and a love of learning, developing a curriculum that actively encourages stewardship and social responsibility.
- The importance of equipping and empowering staff to support pupil development building a knowledgeable sustainable learning community
- A commitment to building teams, both within her own school and the wider community, local, national and international as through collaboration and partnership we can make a difference and leads on driving sustainable initiatives.
Beginning her career in 1991, selling branded fashion, she moved into buying at Costco Wholesale in 1994. This role involved buying high end and luxury product in high volumes.
Her next role, at TK Maxx, was responsible for buying, OTB, stock management and annual sales budgets for the ladieswear division.
In 2005 she relocated to the Middle East as Business Director for Fast Fashion within Al Shaya. Having worked in a variety of different sales and buying functions such as off price, high volume and luxury fashion, this now added franchise retailing to her experience.
In 2010 she moved to the Landmark Group in Dubai to head up their International Franchise Business. Managing a team of Brand Managers, Merchandisers, Operations and VM Managers running 120 stores across the GCC.
Moving to DGrade to take on a sales and operational role enabled her to ‘make a difference’ in a Green industry, striving to create a better environment.
Speaks About
- How recovering and recycling plastic in schools will negate the Eco-Anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress from COVID-19.
- How educators can help children enjoy positive eco projects such as the Simply Bottles outreach for DGrade recycled clothing.
Leading Researcher and SDG Education Expert, Dr Kioupi, talks about her mission to create the definitive toolkit to assess how we teach the SDGs to ensure we are effective in our delivery and practices. She is working on a project with eduCCate Global to build, test, pilot and then scale up the very first SDG Assessment to be used by all eduCCate Global Sustainability & Climate Change Teachers throughout the world. Her enthusiasm and passion for this delivery is infectious and she will draw you in to the extent that you will want to be a part of this project that will have profound effects on the way we teach the SDGs.
Speaks About
- How the global crisis has highlighted the importance of integrating Sustainable Development Goals into all schools’ curricula for natural and human wellbeing.
- Assessing student sustainability competences in Hammersmith and Fulham Sovereign Borough Council Schools.
Melanie Harwood & Denise Meissner, Co-Founders Harwood Education and eduCCate Global; Co-Creators of the COVID-19 Recovery Curriculum Summit; Giving Forward the £6 Billion Recovery Curriculum Stimulus Package to Every School Throughout The World and Why?!
Speak About...
-
How schools have benefitted from fully-funded CPD for teachers during lockdown, such as the Early Years Skills Development Assessment and the Match Fit Handwriting Skills Assessment
-
Why improving equality in education matters more than ever and the ethos behind the not-for-profit organization, eduCCate Global and its multiple learning pathways.
-
Assessment Matters: How your school can monitor progress post Covid-19.