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Teach the Future Campaign | |
Named after | The 2nd UKSCN Demand |
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Formation | 12 October 2019 |
Type | Campaign |
Purpose | Climate education and green school estate |
Region | UK - active all nations |
Parent organization | UK Student Climate Network, Students Organising for Sustainability UK, Fridays for Future Scotland, the National Union of Students Scotland, UKSCN Wales |
Subsidiaries | Teach the Future England Teach the Future Scotland Teach the Future Wales Teach the Future NI |
Website | https://www.teachthefuture.uk |
Teach the Future is a youth-led campaign pushing for broad climate education in the UK, with specific branches in Scotland, England and Wales. It is formed by a volunteer base of students studying across England, Scotland and Wales at all levels of education - from secondary to tertiary - who believe that sustainability and climate change need to be taught across the curriculum, equipping generations to come with the skills and knowledge needed for the green jobs of the futures. [1]
The Teach the Future campaign began as a demand of the UK Student Climate Network [2] and has been so since its formation in December 2018. From this, as it was a specialist area, the demand evolved into an individual campaign with the support of its parent organisations, Student Organising for Sustainability UK and UKSCN. [3]
The campaign was unveiled on 12 October 2019 at National Education Union's Climate Emergency Conference, in front of a room full of educational specialists and campaigners. Two days after the campaign unveiling, Teach the Future began a petition and gathered 7413 signatories
In the lead up to the General Election of December 2019, Teach the Future launched a campaign to improve climate crisis education policy in political party manifestos. The outcome of this was the Labour Party including a curriculum review and the Green Party of England and Wales specifically mentioning Teach the Future's English Climate Emergency Education Act in both of their respective manifestos.
In accordance to their third ask, the student volunteers and a professional legislative draftsperson drafted the first ever student written education bill in history [4] which has been supported by many Parliamentarians. Nadia Whittome supported the students in hosting a parliamentary reception to unveil this legislation to the Government by being their Parliamentary Sponsor; [5] this reception was held in the Houses of Parliament's Terrace Pavilion [6] on 26 February 2020 and had an attendance of over 150 politicians, educators, student campaigners, union representatives and supporters.
Teach the Future calls for 3 main asks from the government, in addition to a fourth which is only relevant to the Scottish campaign [7] [8]
Teach the Future is currently run by a team of 51 volunteers - spread across the nations of England and Scotland; in addition, the campaign employs 5 part-time student campaign coordinators, 1 seconded campaign manager from SOS-UK and 2 other SOS-UK staff members on small contract hours.
These volunteers organise through an online Slack workspace and aim to onboard new influxes of volunteers regularly.
Despite Teach the Future being an umbrella organisation, encompassing volunteers from across the United Kingdom, it is composed of three separate branches. These operate in England, Scotland and Wales respectively. The Welsh branch, while being set up, has not officially launched yet, it is planned to be launched ahead of the 2021 Senedd election. All three campaigns are heavily intertwined as they run similar devolved projects (or projects that are relevant in every nation), as well as having a fluid methodology whereby volunteers are able to assist in any working group that interests them.
The Teach the Future campaign aims to form an international network of climate education campaigns and has formed close ties with some, in the founding stages. Globally, it has made communication with multiple youth climate action groups, which has been facilitated through a staff member with the specific mandate of international outreach and support.
The UK-based campaign shares its name, however is not directly associated, with the Teach the Future Poland campaign – a branch of Strajk Klimatyczny (MSK).
The Teach the Future campaign is supported and endorsed by multiple national organisations focussing on areas such as youth representation, conservation and education system reform. They are: