Get to grips with climate change

PRIMARY School pupils will be asked to develop solutions to help tackle climate change under an innovative ‘Planeteers’ programme being launched next week.

Some 610 children from more than 20 DEIS schools in Dublin, Wicklow, Meath, Kildare and Wexford will be challenged to identify problems in moving to a low-carbon economy and develop workable solutions.

The initiative is being led by the Cool Planet Experience (CPE) in Wicklow, an interactive climate change centre which aims to highlight the problems and opportunities in tackling global warming. The Irish Independent isthe media partner of the CPE.

CPE Chief Executive Vicky Brown said the scheme involved children visiting the centre and taking part in a workshop, with follow-on visits to schools.

It is aimed at pupils aged eight to 12, in particular girls, and will include sessions on engineering, design and construction techniques. Planeteers is being funded by Science Foundation Ireland.

“Each child will understand how to comprehend a problem and come up with a solution,” said Ms Brown.

“Say we want to generate energy. They could see how to do it, for example, by building a windmill. Maybe they decide they’ve a better solution so let them off to do it. It’s giving them the room to come up with solutions themselves.”

The first visit takes place tomorrow week, March 8.

Ms Brown said a key focus of the programme was engaging girls in Stem projects.

“We have seen from the internationally renowned climate solutions focused ‘Drawdown’ project just how important educating girls is,” she added.

“For Ireland economically, we need more and more women working in science and technology. This is because companies that employ a mix of genders tend to work better.

“Generally, women approach problems differently to men and if you work in an environment where you have more potential solutions coming to you more often, you are more likely to succeed in whatever you are doing.”