Last Friday, the 22nd April, was “Earth Day 2022”. Jon Cruddas MP was contacted by “Young Climate Warriors” in relation to a new Ambassador Programme that was launched to coincide with Earth Day. Young Climate Warriors is a nationwide charity which supports teachers and families with high quality and thought-provoking climate change resources that are free, ready to use and include weekly age-appropriate carbon-cutting and sustainability challenges. Close to 1,000 children are signed up as ‘young climate warriors’, and teachers from over 200 schools around the UK receive weekly Young Climate Warriors materials.
The new programme will take Climate Change discussions into primary schools across the UK, with in-person animated assemblies helping teachers open the door to the subject, building wider awareness of the problem and sharing solutions to fixing it. The new Ambassador Programme also seeks to address the growing problem of ‘ecoanxiety’ in young people. At present, nearly three in four children say they are worried about the state of the planet – 22% say they are VERY worried’ (BBC Newsround survey, 2020) and yet ‘almost 9 out of 10 children don’t think enough is being done to tackle climate change and 81% don’t feel they are being listened to’ (UNICEF UK survey, 2021). Young Climate Warriors helps to counter eco-anxiety with engagement, involvement, teamwork, action and a sense of the ‘possible’.
Children must be given the opportunity to learn about and understand climate change in a way that enables them to feel empowered to discuss and choose their own informed path of action. The Young Climate Warriors Ambassador Programme will help children and teachers start these conversations. To book an Ambassador Assembly for your school, apply to become an Ambassador, or for further information please go to https://www.youngclimatewarriors.org/ambassadorprogramme.
Contact details for Young Climate Warriors: hello@youngclimatewarriors.org
Jon Cruddas MP: “The work of Young Climate Warriors is hugely admirable. It is important to raise awareness of Climate Change and encourage young people to discuss and address these issues. I encourage any of my constituents who are eligible to sign up for the Young Climate Warriors Ambassador Programme."