Jonny Friend, Head of Science and Climate Change Leader at St John’s Academy, has become a United Nations accredited Climate Change Teacher. This means all students at St John’s will receive cross-curricular climate change lessons. Students will learn about sustainable development goals and the green economy in the context of their community.
Jonny Friend believes: “Climate change is without doubt the most important issue facing our world today. All the scientific evidence tells us that we need to act now and UN courses such as this one will help teachers in schools provide students with the necessary information in which to make their own, evidence based, informed decisions.”
There are plans to involve all teaching staff in delivering climate change lessons so they can participate in this new innovative programme which is being trialled in UK Schools.
The UN Climate Change Teacher Academy is being delivered by Harwood Education, in partnership with the One United Nations Climate Change Learning Partnership (UN CC:Learn) and sponsored by YPO. Not only will teachers be able to teach their pupils vital lessons about climate change but they will gain professional development and certification from the United Nations.
This innovative programme was launched in April this year and is free for all primary and secondary school teachers. All they need to do is log onto the Climate Change Teacher Academy to access the fully funded courses.
The five units cover topics such as climate change science, adaptation planning, health, forests, climate change finance and international negotiations.
It is hoped that on completion of the course teachers will be able to encourage and generate social innovation, and prepare today’s youth to protect the planet.
St. John’s Academy Principal, Ian Tucker, commented, “The students, staff and parents are rightly passionate about the climate change agenda and we want it to be a central part of what we are about at St John’s. I am delighted that Jonny Friend is leading the way here at the Academy as we support our young people in making a real difference in the way we look after our Planet.”
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