LWC was invited to share the I-CAN Project with student teachers at Liverpool John Moores University. These trainee teachers are studying a module called Enhancing the Primary Curriculum and are interested in the value and relevance of Climate Education. The 75 students were introduced to the I-CAN website and toolkit and shown how it could be integrated into the classroom. The toolkit can also support them as they engage with experienced colleagues and school leaders to build conversations around the benefits of this type of education on sustainability and the climate emergency.
During the session, we explored our personal values as educators and examined how we could use the toolkit to be positive with young learners about the future considering the issue of Eco-Anxiety. The students experienced some practical activities that they could use in the classroom. They all got really involved in an online activity ranking items and their climate emissions and the discussion that followed was illuminating.
The session introduced this group of trainee teachers to the importance of key critical thinking skills and how these could be developed in students through active and engaging learning strategies, helping learners understand how to use persuasive language in a debate and the need to work together to collaborate on solutions for the future.
This group of future teachers felt that it is important to develop active citizens who are empowered to make a difference in their local communities. The I-CAN Project supports teachers as they help develop agency in young people, and inspires them to act as changemakers and catalysts to build a more sustainable future in education communities. The student teachers will now spend time developing their own ideas for classroom projects to be delivered in February 2023 across 10 Merseyside Primary Schools . This training will help them prepare to work within the UK government’s new education strategy on climate change introduced in April 2022.
You can access the I-CAN toolkit and other resources here: INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK (I-CAN)