On Thursday 4th November 2nd form pupils, Peter W, Harry A, Austin B, Carla C, Thomas D, Oskar E, Finley MacG, Lois McL, Anna P, Isla S, Rebecca S, Kayden T and Ivianna Y greeted schools from around the world to Scotland as they open and participate in a virtual workshop session, organised during COP26, by the Zero Water Day Partnership and in collaboration with the Mountain Partnership. The virtual session began with 2nd form pupil, Hector C piping in the delegates. It’s part of a full day of discussions which will focus on empowering young people through education to be the voices of change in addressing climate change, especially regarding their role in water and mountain ecosystem conservation.
The organisers, Zero Water Day Partnership (ZWDP), is a voluntary partnership of schools with teachers and children learning with and from each other to act on water and sustainable development in their homes, schools and communities. The partnership is supporting UNESCO Futures of Education Initiative through learning and whole school-whole community action.
A key focus for ZWDP in 2021 / 22 is the protection of mountain areas against the impacts of climate change and seeing mountains as water towers of the world. ZWDP has been actively promoting the #mountainsmatter campaign in schools to empower youth to play an active role in protecting ecosystems around the world’s summits for future generations.
Paul Vallot, Strathallan VIth Form Lecture Series Coordinator and Master said, “We are delighted to have been asked to represent the UK in this workshop session and officially welcome all the other schools who are taking part to Scotland. The session is a call to action and our pupils will be calling upon governments and the organisers of COP26 to urgently address education on mountains, awareness of mountains as water towers, and to tap into sustainable mountain tourism and its potential.”
The students have looked at their vision for education in 2050 and how they see education as an important thing for everyone, and how it could and should evolve over time:
Find out more about Strathallan's plans for a green future here.
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