FSC Environmental Education

Sustainable Schools Detective Kit

Countries

UK

Funder:

Department for Children, Schools and Families

Project Summary

To develop a Detective Kit website to actively engage 7 – 14 year olds in improving their schools’
sustainability performance.

This Carbon Detectives’ Kit lets pupils investigate the carbon footprint of their school through
measuring how much energy and water it consumes, how much waste it produces, how much travel
it creates, what kinds of things it purchases or provides (like food) and the type of buildings it has.
The aim is to let the children discover how their school is performing and decide what changes need
to be made, and to ensure those changes happen.

The Carbon Detectives’ Kit responds directly to the views (including anger and frustration)
expressed by children and young people about the state of the environment and adults’ perceived
inaction, as received via the DfES Sustainable Schools Consultation and Defra’s survey of young
people’s attitudes to climate change.

The site consists of:

Carbon calculator - This is where the children can get active. Here they can register their school
and complete a series of assignments by collecting the data needed to calculate their carbon
footprint.

Teacher resources - Whilst the Detective Kit itself is very clearly the pupils’ territory, some groups
of pupils (particularly younger ones) may need to have adult support in obtaining some of the data
required to calculate their school’s footprint.

Support tools
Carbon pledge – where you can plan your actions and make them public.
Carbon chart – see how other schools are doing.
Action ideas – suggestions to help with prioritising actions and delivering real change.

FSC Role:

Project Manager

Duration:

January – May 2007

Project website

www.carbondetectives.org.uk