Sustainability is a word we hear a lot these days but elevating it from merely the latest buzzword to a fully-embedded part of the collective mindset is a challenge – and it’s a challenge Northampton College is determined to meet.
The college has created a new event called Supporting Sustainable Futures as part of its ongoing Ignite The Spark initiative, which aims to increase the participation of young people in science, technology, engineering, maths and digital subjects by getting them involved in a series of fun, interactive activities during a visit to Booth Lane.
Pupils from a number of schools from across Northamptonshire will hear from guest speaker, David Saddington, a young climate change expert and TEDx speaker who has worked tirelessly to tackle climate change. He is recognised as one of the UK’s leading environmental experts.
Pupils will participate in a series of interactive workshops relating to the environment including a session on the use of fossil fuels versus biofuels, taster activities to discover how engineers are working to make everyday life more sustainable and a ‘day in the life’ talk from special guest Sorcha Leavey, sustainability officer for SaxaVord Spaceport, the designated spaceport for the UK Pathfinder launch in 2022 by Lockheed Martin and ABL Systems which is currently developing a ground station.
Pat Brennan-Barrett, principal at Northampton College, said:
“An increasing number of young people are becoming aware of the role they need to play in advocating environmental change and establishing sustainability for the future. Greta Thunberg, Lesein Mutunkei and Autumn Peltier are among many young activists who have highlighted the importance of the impact of climate change and the role we must play in protecting our planet.
“To build awareness of the challenges facing future generations and assist with recruitment in STEM-related subjects, Supporting Sustainable Futures will see experienced teachers and industry experts come together to encourage young people to think about the future and gain a deeper understanding of environmental sustainability.”
The session will be held on Thursday, July 7 as part of a week-long series of ‘green’ events and will feature the return of The Big Rig – a challenge which involves pupils competing against other local secondary schools to install a solar powered water system on a large scaffold constructed in the college courtyard.
On Tuesday, July 5, a ground-breaking ceremony will be held for The Green House Project – a new entirely sustainable timber frame building to be erected as an addition to the Advanced Construction Engineering Centre. The building will include a number of sustainable products and green energy solutions, including solar panels and a living roof. It is the latest component of the college’s ‘go green’ initiative to ensure its carbon footprint is as low as possible.
Steps already taken include reducing the sale of single use plastic water bottles and paper coffee cups by introducing reusable alternatives, using college food waste as biofuel and introducing electric car charging points on-campus, as well as encouraging students and staff to walk or use public transport to get to college.
Pat Brennan-Barrett added:
“The green economy is a huge priority for the UK, making this an exciting time to work in the environmental sector. There is a wide range of ‘green-collar’ jobs for young people to consider, with huge growth expected in wind and wave power, bio energy, energy and waste management and plug-in electrical vehicles.
“Our Science and Engineering students go on to work in a variety of specialist areas, including renewable energy and biochemistry.
“We hope this event will go a long way to igniting the spark in a new intake of students who have the environment at their heart and have the passion and skills to make a difference for generations to come.”
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