Join the SEEd Sustainability Journey
I will if you will… is an exercise we use with participants on our SEEd Changemaker programmes and many of our events and workshops. Participants make small or large commitments to help them make changes towards sustainability. The underlying idea is that we are all connected and responsible for each other, therefore changing the world and making it more sustainable requires us to work together. Now, the SEEd team has integrated the exercise into our newsletter and we invite you, as a member of our community, to join us on this journey of Commitment, Joy & Impact.
We are here to help each other, so we designed a journey that is easy to follow, where you have the possibility of choice, can feel and exercise what change is like, and most importantly, feel happy instead of anxious about your actions. Believe me, making a change can be fun!
All we ask of you during this upcoming month is to choose one COMMITMENT from the list below that you are eager to try out; one JOY that helps you relax and keep your journey fun; and one IMPACT idea that you find interesting enough to then spread the word to friends, colleagues, family members, or anyone you encounter. Easy, isn’t it? But more importantly, by following the steps you can change your lifestyle, your mindset, and empower others to follow suit. Like a real change maker.
Please do share your actions and commitments with us by email or on social media.
Commitment
Choose a commitment from the list below and see which one the SEEd team has picked!
- The ASCL Sustainability Conference – taking place on June the 5th at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester offers practical support for schools, colleges, and trusts aiming to build a sustainable culture. Taking place on World Environment Day, the conference features inspiring speakers and workshops aligned with the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy. Highlights include SEEd Founder Ann Finlayson on the Panel: Thoughts on what the refreshed DfE Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy and updates from Joe Billington of the DfE. The day kicks off with a keynote from Jodie Bailey-Ho, who’ll discuss challenges young people face learning about climate change and share ideas for climate education. Attendees can dive into interactive sessions like a climate justice workshop from Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS-UK) and choose between workshops on curriculum, operations, or DfE support programmes. There are insightful case studies from Esteem Multi Academy Trust and Northern Star Academy Trust, showcasing real sustainability journeys in education. Workshops in the afternoon focus on embedding climate education, decarbonizing school operations, improving school food sustainability, and biodiversity efforts. With plenty of networking, exhibition time, and refreshments, the conference promises actionable ideas that delegates can implement easily to support sustainability in their schools and communities. Book your free ticket or know more about the programme here.
- Eco Ambassadors Solutions Lab (EASL) – run by SDGs Today and Columbia University’s Center for Sustainable Development, this free, eight-week virtual program empowers students worldwide to become leaders in sustainability and global citizenship. EASL mixes big ideas—like the UN Sustainable Development Goals—with hands-on training in real tools like GIS mapping, digital storytelling, and data analysis. You’ll dive into local and global sustainability challenges, collaborate with peers across continents, and learn directly from experts in fields like climate science, urban planning, and environmental policy. This year’s theme is all about humanity’s journey through globalization, inspired by Professor Jeffrey Sachs’ The Ages of Globalization. You’ll trace history, tech, and environmental change, then use that knowledge to design your own project in StoryMap format. Whether you’re curious about climate solutions, want to sharpen your tech skills, or just want to make an impact, this program offers the tools, mentorship, and platform to start. You’ll earn a certificate and maybe even discover your future career path. Applications are open now, read more about the programme here and apply here.
- The Immerse Education Essay Competition – is for students aged 13-18 and gives students the chance to win a full (or partial) scholarship to attend prestigious Immerse programmes held at leading global universities like Oxford, Cambridge, or even New York and Sydney. All you have to do is write a 500-word essay on a topic that excites you—there are over 20 questions to choose from, and you’ll get guidance on structure, referencing, and even how to avoid AI overuse or plagiarism. The competition opens June 1st and closes September 18th, 2025, with results announced in October. Essays are judged by experts and academics who really dig into your thinking and analysis. This is an opportunity to explore your passions, polish your writing, and possibly win a spot at one of the world’s top learning experiences. See the questions after June 1st here.
- Nature Breaking the WWF Podcast – If you’re curious about wildlife, nature, and how our choices impact the planet, Nature Breaking is an easy and engaging way to make a commitment and dive into one of these topics. This award-winning podcast brought to you by WWF just took home a Webby—one of the top honors for internet excellence. You don’t need to binge the whole series—just commit to one episode, and you’ll walk away understanding a little more about sustainability. A great place to start is the latest one: The Clean Energy Dilemma. It unpacks how the transition to electric vehicles, solar panels, and other green tech depends on minerals like lithium and cobalt—and how mining those materials can threaten the very ecosystems we’re trying to protect. It’s a thoughtful, eye-opening listen that balances urgency with nuance, and it might just change how you think about climate solutions. Listen for episodes here.
Photo from: ascl.org.uk
Joy
This element helps you stick to your commitment with its small rewards. And secondly, it helps you exercise a sustainability mindset through art. Believe it or not, you will start to gradually see the world through the lens of sustainability, experience it differently, and reinvent the self and its habits accordingly.
- A Movie from Venice at Canne – Le Città di Pianura is an introspective, loosely-structured road movie from Italian director Francesco Sossai, set on the hazy plains of Veneto. One night, Giulio, a shy architecture student, crosses paths with Carlobianchi and Doriano, two broke, disillusioned fiftysomethings with a “never skip the last drink” attitude. What follows is a chaotic road trip full of bad advice, hangovers, and unexpected friendship that reshapes Giulio’s outlook on life and love. Inspired by a wild night in Venice and years of wandering his home region, Sossai films with no storyboards or shotlists, capturing moments with raw, impressionistic spontaneity. Sossai’s process itself reflects a sustainable ethos: no rigid storyboards, just organic, in-the-moment filmmaking that respects the natural flow of time and space. He treats each scene as part of a broader ecosystem, allowing the environment to shape the film as much as the characters do. For Sossai, filmmaking is about truth, not fiction, and finding joy in life’s little odysseys. This approach emphasizes the importance of observing and preserving the unique textures of local life—its landscapes, its people, its fleeting moods—making Le Città di Pianura a gentle yet resonant call to slow down and listen. Read what the director has to say about the film here.
- Immersed in Nature on the Canvas – Oliver Laxe’s Sirât is a meditative road movie that intertwines themes of wandering, borders, and introspection with a profound connection to nature—highlighting a subtle but powerful sustainability message. Following Luis (Sergi López), a father searching for his missing daughter across the Atlas Mountains, the film uses sparse dialogue and striking visuals to immerse viewers in the raw, uncontrollable forces of the natural world.Inspired by the Sirāt Bridge, a spiritual path between hell and heaven, Sirât explores not only human relationships but also our place within the environment. The work reveals the landscapes as living, breathing characters, reminding us of the fragile balance between people and nature. This connection to the land reflects a deeper respect for sustainability—showing how physical and spiritual journeys are intertwined with caring for the world around us. More political and radical than his earlier films, Sirât invites audiences to reflect on how internal exile and environmental awareness are linked, urging a slow, thoughtful approach to life and the planet. Watch the trailer here.
- Circular Museum – is an ongoing virtual panel series created by MoMA’s Ambasz Institute and ART 2030 that brings together artists, curators, museum directors, and exhibition designers to talk about how museums can help address the climate crisis. The second season shifts its focus to collaboration as a climate strategy. It dives into real-world projects that show how partnerships—across institutions, regions, and disciplines—can power imaginative, scalable change. Highlights include a look at Southern California’s museum network working together through the Getty’s Climate Impact Program, a project in Dubai that blends art, architecture, and ecological design, and a deep-dive into artist Josh Kline’s work with MOCA LA, the first U.S. museum to form an Environmental Council. These sessions show that circularity and sustainability aren’t just urgent—they’re shaping a more connected, adaptive, and forward-thinking future for museums worldwide. Watch the episodes here.
- UK Sound Explorer – Cosmo Sheldrake is a UK musician, producer, and all-around sound explorer known for blending nature into his music in inventive ways. Thirteen years ago, a skylark’s song and a cow’s moo sparked an idea in his head: what if a rave could be made from the sounds of the wild? Since then, Sheldrake has built a career using field recordings—from birds to whales—to highlight the creative power of nature. His albums Wake Up Calls and Wild Wet World celebrate endangered species and ocean life, with half of his royalties going to conservation efforts. He’s taking things even further. On a trip to Ecuador’s Los Cedros cloud forest—already legally recognized as a living entity—he collaborated with writer Robert Macfarlane and others to compose Song of the Cedars using sounds from the forest itself. Now, they’re pushing for the forest to be legally recognized as a co-creator of the song. If successful, it would be the first time an ecosystem is granted copyright. Sheldrake hopes this could change how we value and protect the natural world. As he says, “To really listen to a healthy ecosystem is quite something.” Read the full article on Positive News here.
Photo from: amigosdelrios.org
Impact
Sometimes, solutions and great ideas are not waiting to be invented but are already out there. Somewhere. Which of these impactful solutions will you choose to spread the word about to your students, colleagues, friends and family?
- Greening Pasadena Schools – Amigos de los Rios has teamed up with Pasadena Unified School District to create awesome green spaces at local schools, bringing tons of benefits like better mental health, improved air quality, and cool outdoor learning spots. They’ve worked on projects including Willard, where they transformed six acres, including a nature trail that connects the school to the nearby Angeles National Forest. They tackled drainage and flooding problems by adding bioswales, rain gardens, and pervious surfaces that soak up water naturally. Native plants now help reduce heat and create habitats for wildlife. A cool part of the project was teaming up with Cal Poly Pomona students who helped design the space and got local kids involved through a “Green Team.” Principal Brambila shared how excited the kids were to play on the new grassfield — it’s so nice that it almost looks fake! The front of the school is now a peaceful green oasis, with signs teaching students about native plants and how water is managed beneath their feet. Thanks to Amigos de los Rios and community support, Pasadena schools are growing greener, healthier, and more connected to nature. Read more about this or other projects here.
- Peace and Goodwill Message – from Urdd focuses on the urgent issue of child poverty, highlighting that one in three children in Wales is affected. Created with young people from Coleg y Cymoedd and supported by artists and Save the Children:
Photo from: urdd.cymru
- The Sutton Trust’s Opportunity Index – looks at social mobility across England, revealing a big gap between areas. The top 20 places with the best chances are mostly in London. Kids on free school meals (FSM) there are over three times more likely to get a degree by age 22 compared to kids in places like Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West, where only 10% get a degree. There’s also a huge gap in GCSE results—FSM pupils in East Ham are far ahead in English and maths compared to those in Newcastle. When it comes to earnings, only a small percentage of FSM kids in the North East and North West make it into the top 20% of earners by age 28, compared to 18% in London. The report says opportunity gaps open early, so the government should focus on early education, fairer school admissions, and better funding for disadvantaged areas. It also calls for more apprenticeships, tackling unpaid internships, and spreading economic opportunities beyond London. Education alone won’t fix this—it needs a bigger push on reducing child poverty and investing in local infrastructure to balance the opportunity gaps. Read the report here.
- State of Education in Africa – Updating our state of knowledge is necessary for correct judgements. UNESCO update now outlines a big picture analysis on the current state of education in Africa: Progress has been very limited over the past decade. Although 75 million more children are now enrolled in school since 2015, the number of out-of-school children has actually increased. On top of that, the quality of education hasn’t improved much—students today are just as unlikely to have qualified teachers or access to basic facilities like water and electricity as they were 10 years ago. Learning outcomes are also troubling as most ten-year-olds can’t read or understand simple texts. There are three major challenges driving this situation: rapid population growth, ongoing humanitarian crises, and insufficient funding. Instead of increasing education budgets, many countries are spending less than they did years ago, leaving a great financing gap. Inequality remains a huge issue, with rural and marginalized communities facing the biggest barriers, including shortages of teachers and resources. Some countries are working on reforms—updating curricula, improving teacher training, and focusing more on technical and vocational skills. However, for real change, stronger investment and better governance are crucial. The report emphasizes smarter use of existing resources, involving communities, improving data-driven decisions, better coordination, and scaling up proven solutions tailored to local needs. Read the full article here.
