The Straits Committee’s sixth call for projects closed in February 2024, and, on 15th March in Lille, the members of the Executive Committee agreed to support the following projec: 

Name of the project: Geopark Transmanche – Schools Climate Exchange   

Project partners: Parc naturel régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale (Pas-de-Calais); Kent Downs National Landscape (Kent) 

Regions involved: Kent (UK) ; Pas-de-Calais (Fr)  

Description: The Geopark Transmanche – Schools Climate Exchange project will deliver an exchange programme for primary schools located in the Kent Downs National Landscape and the Parc Naturel Regional de Caps et Marais d’Opale over the course of a year.

Schools on both sides of the Channel will have the chance to link up digitally, by post and in person to work on a range of shared activities, challenges and learning experiences that raise awareness of climate change and actions that can be taken in the Cross-Channel Geopark to address it. Topics will include the shared environment, climate, geology and much more. 

The actions planned are: 

•    Delivering digital schools climate exchange conference days for schools: 3 full-day exchange sessions on each occasion, led by Louella Ward in English and Martin Verhoeven in French. 
•    Summer Climate Change Challenge:  a self-led research project around the themes of climate, nature and geology that children can work on at home. 
•    In-person conference day in Kent. Pupils from schools on both sides of the Channel will attend and take part in a number of joint activities on the themes of climate, nature and geology.
•    In-person conference day in Pas-de-Calais
•    Capitalising on and perpetuating the exchange programme: Setting up initiatives such as twinning schools and using the World Alliance of Schools

   
The Straits Committee wishes the partners every success with their project. 

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