Earthwatch Europe awarded funding to train teachers in environmental education

22nd July 2021

The £19,000 grant awarded by the Kusuma Trust will enable the Earthwatch Education team to train 70 pre-qualified teachers in providing inspiring environmental education.  

Working in partnership with the London East Teacher Training Alliance, the Teach Earth training programme will inspire young educators through online sessions on topics such as climate change, biodiversity, citizen science and Tiny Forests in urban settings. 20 of the trainee teachers will take their learning experience out into nature with a weekend-residential in the woods. 

The Earthwatch Education team get pupils outside to learn about nature. Credit: John Hunt

‘Outdoor and environmental learning has the opportunity to increase confidence, wellbeing, levels of concentration and even academic success in the long term. By working with the next generation of primary school teachers in the Newham and Tower Hamlets area, we can equip them with the tools and confidence they need to lead inspiring environmental education and teach their pupils outside the classroom on a regular basis. Teachers are pivotal in creating the space for their students to build and maintain their connection to nature. As a result, students and teachers are more likely go on to take pro-environmental actions in their own lives and communities. These experiences will become increasingly important in the face of climate change and in the recovery from Covid-19.’  

Megan Evans, Learning & Engagement Manager. Earthwatch Europe. 

Find out more about Earthwatch Education: https://edu.earthwatch.org.uk/