Experiences from a School–University Partnership Climate and Sustainability Education Project in England: The Value of Citizen Science and Practical STEM Approaches

Meryl Batchelder (), Mark Swinney, Tess O’Hara, Alethea Goddard, Elizabeth Lewis, Jo Cox and Hayley J. Fowler
Additional contact information
Meryl Batchelder: Corbridge Middle School, Cow Lane, Corbridge, Northumberland NE46 4TE, UK
Mark Swinney: Corbridge Middle School, Cow Lane, Corbridge, Northumberland NE46 4TE, UK
Tess O’Hara: School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 7RU, UK
Alethea Goddard: School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 7RU, UK
Elizabeth Lewis: School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 7RU, UK
Jo Cox: Royal Society Schools Engagement Team, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG, UK
Hayley J. Fowler: School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 7RU, UK

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-14

Abstract: Extracurricular citizen science and hands-on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) projects can ensure that climate and sustainability education is not just superficial but truly transformative. Through working under the guidance of academic partners, young people can develop a deep appreciation for climate science and, most importantly, become aware of the real-world sustainable solutions being developed to address the consequences of our changing climate. We present the experiences of four stakeholders from one case study involving middle school students (9–13 years) and their teachers working on a climate change and sustainable drainage system (SuDS) project with academics from Newcastle University and the Schools Engagement programme of the Royal Society. We found that all stakeholders considered it to be a successful project with significant benefits, including engaging learning in the pupils, a challenge for the teachers, and meaningful data collection for the academic team. The funding organisation thought the positive interactions that they try to encourage between students and STEM partners were evidenced in this project perfectly. Young people are future decision makers; this type of project can enable them to develop essential skills and an understanding of a range of STEM careers. Subsequent developments may include refining the way similar projects are run.

Keywords: education; extracurricular; climate; sustainability; STEM; SuDS; drainage; engagement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/12/9401/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/12/9401/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:12:p:9401-:d:1168871

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().