More than 150 pupils from schools across Derby took part in an event to discuss their climate change concerns and learn about potential careers that could help tackle some of these challenges.

The children were joined by local businesses and industry experts for The Festival of Ideas – an exciting day of interactive workshops at Pride Park stadium, as part of the Derby Promise.

A Derby City Council initiative, the Derby Promise focuses on raising employment aspirations and providing meaningful opportunities for the city’s young people, from primary school through to adult education. 

Taking place during Science Week, the Festival of Ideas saw pupils share knowledge around climate concerns while learning about a range of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) career paths. They also had the opportunity to speak directly with councillors and local leaders about changes they’d like to see, and to ask important questions around their own power to make a difference.

Workshops were provided by industry experts from Rolls Royce, Wates Construction, Aecom and Climate Education, each exploring different aspects of sustainability and climate action. Activities ranged from quizzes on plastic pollution and global warming, to building a scale suspension bridge which the children could then walk across, seeing the principles of civil engineering in action and understanding the environmental impacts of such projects. 

There were games around ways to improve our carbon footprint at home, and craft projects demonstrating how wind turbines can make use of our natural resources. 

Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Skills, said:

The Festival of Ideas has been a fantastic opportunity for our young people on several levels. It was great to see them really getting stuck into tasks that sparked conversations around climate, but also ideas to do with possible career paths and how STEM can look outside of a classroom and be applied in the working world. 

Meeting new people and gaining first-hand experience of what a job can entail is such an important step in inspiring and motivating children, helping them to see what’s possible, what they can work towards. The element of fun in each activity really helped too – these are jobs and projects they can enjoy and feel inspired to pursue.

A key element of the festival was the opportunity for students to present their climate concerns and ideas to local councillors and leaders. Through creative speeches, artwork, and presentations, they highlighted areas for change and engaged in Q&A sessions.

  • Oakwood Junior School stressed the importance of trees, green spaces, and nature.  
  • Becket Primary School recognised the difference we can all make to ensure communities and the natural world are protected
  • Cherry Tree Hill Primary School are busy composting and were keen for Derby to make composting easier at home, at work, and in public places
  • Beaufort Primary School stressed the need for increased renewable energy use, reduced car usage, increased tree planting, recycling, and waste reduction 
  • Redwood Primary School suggested sustainable transport competitions, refill shops, rewilding, and climate-focused public art 
  • Cavendish Close Junior School discussed careful recycling, water conservation, re-wilding and informed buying choices.

Students also discussed practical actions they and their schools could take, such as litter-picking groups, bug hotels, wormeries, and recycling champions. They emphasised the importance of using their voices to drive change, encouraging teachers and parents to address environmental issues.

Councillor Carmel Swan, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Transport and Sustainability, was particularly impressed by the children’s passion, practical ideas, and optimism. She said:

The event underlined how important it is that children’s voices are included in conversations around climate change. Our young people are very aware that they’re inheriting a planet with increasing environmental challenges, but one thing that stood out was their positivity in tackling these issues. They truly believe change is possible, and they want to lead the charge in improving climate change.

The Derby Promise’s Festival of Ideas is an ongoing initiative. Throughout the coming year, schools will be developing their own climate action plans, and the team behind Derby Promise will be providing ongoing teacher support sessions and guidance to schools.