Co-operation Ireland is excited to be hosting the inaugural All-island Schools 4 Climate Schools conference at the W5 Interactive Discovery Centre in Belfast next Wednesday!

This ground-breaking conference will be the first cross-border conference of its kind on the island, aimed at bringing schools together across the island with the common purpose of addressing important climate-related issues at a community and national level.

Since September 2022, 20 schools from across the island of Ireland have been engaged in environmental science courses, provided by Alison – the Empowerment Platform, covering a range of topics including; the Circular Economy, Biodiversity, Water Pollution, Energy and Sustainable Transport. Following completion of the online courses, schools will initiate student-led climate action projects supported by Co-operation Ireland, to create change in local communities across the island.

The AIS4CA conference is based on three core themes of Inspiration, Imagination and Impact, and promises to give an opportunity for schools from across the island to connect, collaborate and share ideas for social action projects, which will be delivered in Spring 2023. The conference will feature:

• Keynote speeches from leading academics and climate activists followed by a Q&A panel session.
• A Climate Action Marketplace session.
• Campaign training and development workshops.
• Opportunities to share ideas, collaborate and plan for climate action projects.

All-island Schools 4 Climate Action (AIS4CA) is an ambitious cross-border educational collaboration between Co-operation Ireland, EcoEd4All, and Alison, supported by the Education Authority for Northern Ireland Shared Education (EANI), Galway Roscommon ETB (GRETB) and Cork (ETB).

Since September 2022, 20 schools from across the island of Ireland have been engaged in environmental science courses, provided by Alison – the Empowerment Platform, covering a range of topics including; the Circular Economy, Biodiversity, Water Pollution, Energy and Sustainable Transport. Following completion of the online courses, schools will initiate student-led climate action projects supported by Co-operation Ireland, to create change in local communities across the island.

The conference promises to give an opportunity for schools from across the island to connect, collaborate and share ideas for social action projects, which will be delivered in Spring 2023. The conference will feature:

• Keynote speeches from leading academics and climate activists followed by a Q&A panel session.
• A Climate Action Marketplace session.
• Campaign training and development workshops.
• Opportunities to share ideas, collaborate and plan for climate action projects.

All-island Schools 4 Climate Action (AIS4CA) is an ambitious cross-border educational collaboration between Co-operation Ireland, EcoEd4All, and Alison, supported by the Education Authority for Northern Ireland Shared Education (EANI), Galway Roscommon ETB (GRETB) and Cork (ETB).

Keynote Speakers

Professor John Barry

John Barry is Professor of Green Political Economy and Co-Director of the Centre for Sustainability, Equality and Climate Action at Queens University Belfast.  He is also Co-Chair of the Belfast Climate Commission.  

Rosalind Skillen

Rosalind Skillen is a climate activist from Belfast, currently studying her Masters in Environmental Policy in Dublin. Alongside her studies, Rosalind is a columnist at the Belfast Telegraph, a campaigner for Good Energies Alliance Ireland, and she attended COP26 and COP27 as a youth delegate.

Jactina Hamley

Jacinta is the founder of Climate Craic Festival and works for environmental data technology company, Vizzuality, and its supply chain management service, LandGriffon. Jacinta is one of the Green Party candidates for council elections in May 2023.  She has a BSc in Earth, Energy and Sustainability from Leiden University College.

For more information on the programme, please visit: https://cooperationireland.org/projects/all-island-schools-4-climate-action/