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Bow students on the Green Talent Fellowship
October 2009
During the summer break in partnership with Arrival Education. Mustafa Mohammed and Gilbert Sabakaki were selected, and successfully completed, a pilot programme run by us in partnership with the Prime Minister's Talent & Enterprise Taskforce, The EDEN Project in Cornwall, with four leading UK businesses (Rolls-Royce, EDF Energy, Skanska and Boots), to look at how young people from inner-city communities could engage with climate change and business role in helping society adapt to that challenge. These students were selected to be a core group of 20 Green Talent Fellows from students who have completed Arrival Educations Success for life foundation programme.
The six week programme started with a three day residential programme at The EDEN Project in Cornwall, where the students were introduced to the interdependency of man and plants and had the opportunity to stay on a farm. The feedback from the Eden project was that these students were some of the most engaged and interesting young people they had ever met big praise as they run programmes for 40,000 young people every year.
After this experience the students all had the opportunity to visit a leading business for three days.
Mustafa spent three days with EDF energy in London and Nottinghamshire meeting members of the sustainability team, visiting power stations and finding out what EDF is trying to do to cut its carbon emissions. As part of a small team of students from Haling Manor, Globe and Walworth, he presented back to the Head of Sustainability on how EDF could better engage with his community. His thoughtfulness and ability to work in a team comprising three strong-minded young women greatly impressed the EDF team!
Gilbert spent three days working with Swedish Construction firm Skanska. Part of the visit included a trip to Bristol to look at a new school build Skanska have completed. As part of a team of 5 students from Burlington Danes, Haling Manor and Paddington Academy, Gilbert presented back to the Head of Sustainability and three Directors. Some of their recommendations will be incorporated into a bid Skanska is putting together to rebuild schools in Essex. Gilbert greatly impressed with his insight and ability to communicate.
After the workplace visits, they spent two days at the Royal Society of Arts, making sense of their experience and then proceeded to present their findings back to an audience of 30 business leaders.
These students had an amazing experience and we would suggest finding ways to make use of their experience by talking to other students about what they have seen and learnt. There may also be bigger platforms that these students will be invited to speak at, including to business and government leaders.
