Last week CAfS, working with CDEC, welcomed five students as part of the CLEP Dream Placement. Dream Placement encourages students to apply for a work placement during February half term, developing transferable skills alongside leadership and project experience.
This year our students, Anastasiia, Erin, Honor, Najia and Oscar had a varied timetable; developing low carbon food guidance for schools and community events, looking at energy audits for buildings, and exploring the demands on schools for climate action. They also had a Zero Carbon Cumbria focus, working alongside one of our Climate Trainers and undertaking a Climate Fresk, as well as attending a low carbon food event in Cartmel for businesses and other stakeholders with Laura Blake, our Low Carbon Food Project Manager. At this event the students presented the ‘Cartmel Commitment’, which they had developed during their placement. The Commitment asks schools, local authorities, community groups and businesses to commit to work together on a series of actions relating to food in schools, covering topics such as education, skills, food in school and reducing food waste. You can read more about the Cartmel Commitment here.
CAfS and the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership (ZCCP) benefited as much from the students as they did from being with us as it gave us some clear ideas as to how we can engage with this age group and ensure they have a meaningful impact on the work of the Partnership, including:
- getting more information into schools – they saw the Climate Fresk as a very valuable way of imparting information and one student commented that it helped them understand the ‘circular’ nature of the problem.
- Talking about solutions as well as the challenges; developing an optimistic outlook is a challenge for all ages, but necessary if we are to develop solutions that work for all.
- Ensuring that their voice is head, and that they are part of the decision making process.
Overall, the students told us that they left the placement with a greater understanding of what it means when we talk about carbon emissions here in Cumbria, as well an understanding of how the ZCCP is working together towards a shared ambition of a net zero Cumbria by 2037.
John Forbes, CAfS Project Manager for the Zero Carbon Cumbria project (which is funded by the National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund), explained:
‘Working with the students has been a fantastic and illuminating process for all of us! From delivering presentations, developing the Carmel Commitment, carrying out energy audits and writing guidance it was a privilege to see their passion for our planet, and the drive to make a difference – we wish them all the best for the future.”
