A campaign to help empower young people to help solve the climate crisis has been launched to create a specialist ‘learning hub’ on the high street for children and families.
The centre will be staffed by scientists, teachers, artists and environmentalists and raise awareness through Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) and act as an educational ‘drop in’ centre.
Piloted by environmental activist and polar explorer Antony Jinman, the ‘Our Planet Your Path’ learning centre is part of community interest company Like To Be’s mission to raise awareness for environment issues and solve the climate crisis through helping young people commit to green career pathways and lifestyles.
Antony Jinman, CEO and Founder of LikeToBe said: “When I founded LikeToBe, the idea was to connect young people and organisation to inspire them about different careers. I am proud to play a part in empowering young people across the UK to take their future in their own hands and educate them about green career pathways and lifestyles”.
Today marks the start of the CIC’s fundraising campaign to launch the first pilot learning hub in Plymouth, Britain’s Ocean City. The Crowdfunder has been launched by Our Planet Your Path after the team entered the Plymouth Climate Challenge.
Like To Be founders Antony, Anouk and Martin have the potential to win the £20,000 first prize which will go a long way to helping them in their bid for £65,000 for the climate change learning centre in the heart of Plymouth City Centre.
If successful it will see learning exhibitions, art, outreach activities and information about local and regional green careers in a key, high-profile high street location.
Hannah Harris, Chief Executive Officer at Plymouth Culture, said: “We are working very closely with our partners at the moment to revive the high street and in particular we are looking at projects that are different to retail and give a different experience.
“What Antony and the team are proposing around learning, education, connection and the climate emergency is a really fantastic way of reinvigorating the high street but also bringing opportunities around jobs and education and skills right to peoples’ doorsteps, so we are very supportive of the initiative.”
If successful up to 1 million young people could be engaged in the project over the next five years by combining face to face learning and inspiring virtual campaigns.
The Plymouth based Our Planet Your path learning centre would provide a blueprint for a successful roll-out of similar hubs in towns and cities all across the UK.
The Crowdfunding campaign aiming to raise enough funds to establish this centre has been launched this week to coincide with COP26.
To make a donation, to sponsor or to buy an unique Crowdfunding reward and support the project please click here https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/our-planet-your-path
And to become part of the Our Planet Your Path campaign and attend the virtual event(s), please contact Anjuli Selvakumaran via anjuli@liketobe.org or visit www.liketobe.org