Today we are so excited to announce that we are in the process of employing 6 new staff members to work on the Teach the Future campaign. Each will be introduced in a short blog, up second is Jude Daniel Smith.
Today we are so excited to announce that we are in the process of employing 6 new staff members to work on the Teach the Future campaign. Each will be introduced in a short blog, up second is Jude Daniel Smith.
So, who are you?
Hey! I’m Jude, and I’m a 15-year-old climate activist from Sheffield. I’ve been an activist since I was very young, and I like to think it’s what gives me all of my motivation in life - social action is my favourite part of any day, and campaigns like Teach the Future give me a huge chance to engage even more. I was one of the students who started the Youth Strike 4 Climate in South Yorkshire last February, and since then I joined UKSCN, finally joining Teach the Future in February of this year. I'm one of the newer volunteers, but my time with the campaign has been great, and I’m thrilled to say I’ll be working as a campaign coordinator. Feel free to contact me at jude.ukscn@outlook.com
Why is Teach the Future/Climate Education important to you?Being someone who has, and is currently gaining, experience of the national curriculum, I strongly believe it is unfit for purpose. Schools are grading factories, and do not arm students with the knowledge they need for life; the most crucial of these topics being climate change, its causes and means of mitigation, and the challenges it poses for their future and how they can adapt as individuals and communities. How can young people be expected to solve the world's issues if we are not enabled to do so? Much like the necessary transition to net-zero emissions, our inheritance of this world must be just, and a large part of this is an informed, cooperative generation with all the tools they need to fix what has been handed down to them.
What are you bringing to the team?I am an enthusiastic public speaker, engaging with other young people, organisations, businesses and everyone in between. I am so excited to establish new connections, expand into the whole of the UK, and engage with politicians to bring about crucial change. I have knowledge of many contemporary educational structures, particularly academisation and the formation of Multi Academy Trusts (MAT’s), and have completed many courses and subsequently gained many accreditations on the topics of devolution, Local Area policy formation, youth social action and many more, so I hope to bring new ideas and perspectives on how to implement climate education.
What's a fun fact about you?In my spare time, I play chess competitively - due to the fact I am the Yorkshire and Humber champion, my ‘title’ of sorts is “Supremo of the North”. This comes on some of my letters, and it makes me giggle. I also have a scented candle company (so cool).