The University of Leeds has opened its doors to 90 schoolchildren for a mock climate change conference, delivered through engaging games and activities.
Year 10 and 11 pupils from Sirius Academy in Hull, Heckmondwike Grammar and Dixons Unity in Leeds visited campus to take part in the inaugural EduCOP, an event developed and hosted by 20 MA Education students from the School of Education.
The university students put together interactive presentations and hands-on activities including a mock climate change negotiation, bushcraft activities and games including Jenga, Megawatt and Lego to help pupils engage with complex ideas around climate change.
Leeds City Council’s Climate Commission Schools Project, including Another Way, National Education Nature Park, Global Leeds Learning and Climate Ambassadors supported the event, joining breakout sessions with the schoolchildren.
Engaging young minds
Tong Li, an MA Education student from China who was part of the EduCOP team, said: “It’s been a lot of fun to design the content and format of the day for the children. We wanted to design activities that would help them stay engaged while also learning complex ideas. The games will make abstract ideas like energy systems more meaningful and interesting.
“This has been a great opportunity for me to be involved with. I want to be a primary school teacher when I graduate, so this is a really useful experience for my career.
“I’ve learned how to design student-centred activities that promote interaction, and it’s improved my ability to explain complex topics in an interesting way. I’ve also gained experience in teamwork by working with others to put the day’s activities together. It’s been an honour to join the EduCOP team.”
The pupils, aged 14 to 16, were assigned different countries to ‘represent’ in a climate change negotiation simulation, where they developed an understanding about how each country represents their own priorities and responsibilities in the process.
What a brilliant event. I’m blown away by all the sessions these pupils have been able to get involved with.
Pupils also used games to enhance their learning. Megawatt was used to help children build their own energy system and understand the importance of clean energy. They built habitats for different animals with Lego and answered climate-related questions as they removed blocks from a Jenga tower, to understand challenges and risks.
Pupils also explored campus over lunch, with lunch sponsored by the Refectory at Leeds University Union to give them a taste of life at University.
The MA students are all studying an MA Education, including modules in Climate Change and Sustainability Education and Education for Sustainable Development, led by Dr Syafiq Mat Noor, Lecturer in Climate Change Education and Programme Lead for the MA Education, who was part of the University of Leeds delegation at COP30 and delivered a keynote speech at the conference.
Active involvement
Dr Mat Noor said: “EduCOP emphasises the importance of centring diverse climate futures and working towards a just transition. This guiding principle reflects EduCOP’s core mission: to position young people’s voices at the forefront of climate policy and practice.
“The EduCOP programme models the structure of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) and is aligned with the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum for Geography. It enables students to understand, through detailed place-based examples at a range of scales, the processes underlying weather and climate.
“This also reflects the priorities of the Paris Agreement and creates space for young people to be actively involved in climate discussions, decision-making, and action.”
The three schools were chosen from a primary target list to align with the University of Leeds strategy of schools of focus.
Leeds City Councillor Katie Dye, Chair of the Leeds Climate Commission and the Climate Emergency Advisor Commission, said: “What a brilliant event. I’m blown away by all the sessions these pupils have been able to get involved with.
“I heard pupils in a mock climate negotiation, acting as the USA and the Maldives and arguing over climate reparation money. It was a really lively debate, and it was fantastic to see them finding confidence to argue their case – they are learning real, transferrable life skills, as well as having that experience on campus to see what a University is really like. It’s fantastic to see the University working with schools to educate children on these important topics.”
Further information
For further information, please contact Becky Pascoe in the University of Leeds press office on r.pascoe@leeds.ac.uk