Youngsters across Coventry and Warwickshire in England have been invited to submit ideas on what it means to be a climate change hero and stand a chance to win £2,500 for their school.
Young Green Shoots, which is open to any young person aged 4 to 19 who is in full-time education and lives or goes to school in the region, is part of the Young Green Shoots competition which is run by Warwickshire County Council and Coventry City Council.
According to Warwickshire County Council’s environment spokeswoman, Heather Timms, one winner from each of four age categories will receive £2,500 from Warwickshire County Council’s Green Shoots Community Fund for their school or college to spend on climate change-related projects.
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This will include planting trees or establishing wildflower gardens, encouraging pupils to switch to walking or cycling to school, and installing renewable energy options or electric vehicle charging points.
Timms explained that the winners and runners-up in each category will also have their work showcased at the forthcoming Coventry and Warwickshire Climate Change Summit, to be held at the University of Warwick in March.
He noted that the event will bring together public sector organisations from across the region, alongside representatives from the private, voluntary and community sectors, to declare a united commitment to fight climate change and to develop plans to become carbon neutral by 2050 or sooner.
“Young Green Shoots aims to teach children and young people about climate change through creativity, and for their contributions to climate change to be heard,” he said. “They can enter either by submitting a short piece of writing or a drawing”.
Speaking further, he said, “anyone can be a climate change hero, whether they are doing big things that impact the whole world, or smaller things that make a difference to just one home”.
Story was adapted from Rugby Observer.