Teachers – one week to go until Youth Summit for Schools during COP26

This month sees the historic occasion of the UK’s hosting of the COP26 Climate Conference.

During this important time, young people around the country concerned about the climate crisis and wanting to feel part of something bigger can connect with others at the Transform Our World Youth Summit, which is bringing together UK schools for an online journey of exploration.

Over three days – themed ACTION, POWER and VALUES (3, 8, 10 November) – young people will go on an online journey to explore practical action, the power to influence change and the values to transform our world.

Throughout the summit, young people will learn about practical action, that they have a role to play and that they’re united in compassion with others who care like they do.

Each day will focus on a different theme of how we can all play a part in transforming our world, together. Core sessions are tailored for both primary and secondary schools and the range of what’s on includes Dragons’ Den-style events, inspiration sessions, digital storytelling, careers conversations and COP updates from Youth Ambassadors.

The fourth day – Friday 12 November- is The Transform Our World Youth Summit Finale, involving expert speakers and youth presenters reflecting on learnings from across the youth summit.

WWF UK, Greenpeace, Marine Conservation Society, Environmental Change Institute at University of Oxford, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and World’s Largest Lesson are among the organisations delivering sessions at the Summit.

A Teacher Planner guide is available for teachers to plan their summit experience with their students. In order to access the summit, teachers need to register on the Transform Our World website.

Young people from the UK Schools Sustainability Network (UKSSN), who will be visiting COP26 in Glasgow will be reporting into VALUES day (Wednesday 10 Nov) of the Transform Our World Youth Summit with details of their experiences at COP26.

Transform Our World is funded by Global Action Plan and the #iwill Fund, which is made possible thanks to a £54 million joint investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to support young people to access high quality social action opportunities, such as volunteering and campaigning, around the issues that matter to them.

Luke Wynne, head of youth and schools at Global Action Plan, said: “This year’s Transform Our World Youth Summit will unite thousands of young people from around the country. They will come together to share ideas and work together to help create the world that they and other young people all over the globe are calling for but not yet seeing from our global leaders; all while these same leaders are meeting at COP26.

The summit is one way that Transform Our World is helping to support and nurture a generation of young, courageous and compassionate changemakers so that our future leaders don’t make the same mistakes as those before them. Through Transform Our World we are ensuring that young people, have the skills, experience and values needed to secure a more sustainable future for people and planet.”

Youth Ambassador Lydia said: “The Transform Our World Youth Summit is important because as my generation become adults, it will become our responsibility to find solutions (to the climate crisis). We must be well-informed by our education today to be able to combat the challenges we will face.”

Schools can register to join at: https://bit.ly/3nppZlk