On 30 September 2025, Sparks Bristol was filled with energy and optimism as over 100 young changemakers gathered for the Earth Day Heroes Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Global Goals Centre (GGC). From Bristol to Bangladesh, young people came together to celebrate the inspiring work they’ve been doing to make the planet better for everyone and everything.
These youth-led projects, spanning rewilding, recycling, campaigning, and creative storytelling, have involved over 7,000 participants taking active, positive steps toward sustainability, justice, and community care. It was a powerful reminder that young people are not just the future, they are part of the solution now.
Grounded in UWE Bristol research
This event and the initiatives it launched are deeply connected to research conducted at UWE Bristol. In particular, the Bristol Uniform Challenge (BUC) was launched at the ceremony. This draws directly on findings from a paper I co-authored with Dr Tessa Podpadec exploring children’s understanding of fast fashion and its impacts. The study, Young people, climate change and fast fashion futures, published in Environmental Education Research, revealed that while many young people are aware of climate issues, the links to everyday clothing choices are often overlooked.
School uniforms offer a tangible entry point for discussing sustainability, equity, and global supply chains. Through BUC, we aim to co-develop practical solutions with schools that reduce waste, support ethical production, and ease financial pressures on families – while embedding sustainability into everyday school life.
Celebrating youth leadership
The Earth Day Heroes event featured contributions from Naomi Wilkinson (BBC Children’s wildlife presenter), a creative workshop from Aardman Animations, and award presentations by Dr Mya-Rose Craig (Birdgirl) and Cllr Henry Michallat, the Lord Mayor of Bristol. Their presence helped affirm the importance of youth-led action and the value of recognising it publicly.
As an Associate Professor at UWE Bristol, I’ve worked with the Global Goals Centre for over seven years, developing projects that centre social and environmental justice, creative engagement, and inclusive education. The Earth Day Heroes initiative is a living example of how research and practice can come together to support meaningful youth participation.
Looking ahead
Young people are now invited to begin developing their projects for the 2026 Earth Day Heroes Awards, continuing the momentum and deepening their engagement.
As educators and researchers, it’s vital that we create spaces where young people feel empowered to act, reflect, and lead. This event was more than a celebration, it was a demonstration of how research, practice, and youth voice can come together to shape a better future.
By Dr Verity Jones, Associate Professor in Education
On 23 September 2025, Lambeth Palace hosted the launch of the Difference in Primary Schools resource—an ambitious and timely initiative that uses children’s film, songs and literature to support meaningful conversations about race, identity, and belonging in primary education.
Developed by the Difference programme, the resource is freely available to schools and educators across the UK, offering a suite of lessons that foreground empathy, critical thinking, and inclusive practice from early years through to transition into Key Stage 3.
As the team leader for the RESPECT project, I was particularly proud that the transition lesson draws directly on If Racism Vanished for a Day – a book developed through our project. Co-created with children from Bristol schools, the text and illustrations invite readers to imagine a world without racism.
The integration of our book demonstrates how academic research can shape real-world practice, particularly in the context of anti-racism education. It also highlights the power of literature as a pedagogical tool: not only to foster understanding, but to catalyse change.
As schools begin to adopt the Difference in Primary Schools resource, the reach and relevance of RESPECT’s work continues to grow – supporting educators in creating classrooms where every child feels seen, heard, and valued.
In the face of escalating ecological and social crises, education must evolve to equip the next generation with the tools to imagine and enact a more sustainable and just world. In our new paper published in the International Journal of Social Pedagogy, we explore how eco-craftivism – the fusion of ecological awareness and craft-based activism- can serve as a powerful pedagogical tool in primary education.
Conducted with 120 pupils aged 8 to 9 in two UK primary schools, our research investigates how creative, hands-on learning can foster eco-social pedagogy (ESP). ESP expands traditional social pedagogy by integrating ecological consciousness with social justice, emphasizing the interconnectedness of people, planet, and the material world.
We call to for a de-bordering of solidarities: to move beyond human-to-human empathy and include solidarity with the environment and non-human “things.” This form of solidarity, with human-made objects, is crucial in cultivating sustainable behaviours. Craft and craftivism are powerful tools for building creative relationships with things in ways that build solidarities with those things, but also serve as gateways to holistic solidarities with the environment and human others. By engaging with recycled materials like copper wire, cardboard, and old socks, we explore how pupils developed material literacies – an understanding of the origins, value, and lifecycle of everyday items. This awareness, in turn, sparked deeper ecological and social insights.
The project’s workshops – where children crafted bracelets, puzzles, and sock puppets – were more than just craft lessons. They were immersive experiences that connected students emotionally and intellectually to the climate crisis. Pupils expressed joy in creating, pride in reusing materials, and a newfound sense of agency. One student reflected:
“It’s like doing something for the planet but also doing something that you can use.”
This dual purpose – personal enjoyment and environmental impact – embodies the essence of eco-craftivism.
Teachers, too, reported a shift in perspective. Inspired by the workshops, they reconsidered their own classroom practices, opting to use more sustainable materials and integrate environmental storytelling into lessons. The study highlights how craft-making can transform both teaching and learning, making abstract issues like climate change tangible and emotionally resonant.
Importantly, the research also addresses the emotional toll of climate education. Many children initially expressed fear and helplessness. However, through creative engagement, these emotions often shifted toward hope and empowerment. Crafting became a medium for emotional expression and resilience, helping students process complex feelings in a constructive way.
This study is a vital contribution to the growing field of climate education. It demonstrates that eco-craftivism is not just about making things – it’s about making meaning. By fostering solidarity with people, nature, and objects, it cultivates a holistic understanding of sustainability that is both intellectually rigorous and emotionally grounded.
As we seek innovative ways to prepare young learners for the challenges ahead, this research offers a compelling model. Eco-craftivism shows that with the right tools – scissors, thread, and a bit of imagination – children can begin to stitch together a better future.
The full reference of this new article is:
Mulholland, J., Jones, V., Pawson, C. and Harrison, L. (2025). De-bordering solidarities: using eco-craftivism as an eco-social pedagogy in primary education. International Journal of Social Pedagogy, 14(1): 8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444.ijsp.2025.v14.x.008.
The importance of a diverse teaching workforce has been widely acknowledged, yet representation and inclusion remain serious challenges within teacher education in England. Recent research by Dr Karan Vickers-Hulse (Associate Director: Education) and Dr Sarah Whitehouse (Programme Leader for the International Doctorate in Education and Senior Lecturer: Education and Humanities) explored the lived experiences of pre-service teachers from minoritised groups, specifically those minoritised by race, sexuality, disability, neurodiversity, and gender identity, as they navigated university teacher training and school placements.
The study involved a series of focus groups with seven pre-service teachers over a nine-month period. What emerged were powerful personal accounts revealing how identity, belonging, and representation shape teachers’ professional journeys long before they qualify. Many participants described being the ‘only one’ in their placement schools -the only Black teacher, the only openly LGBTQ+ educator, or the only neurodivergent staff member. This often resulted in a sense of otherness, heightened scrutiny, and pressure to represent their entire community. One participant spoke of feeling ‘stared at’ as they walked down school corridors, while another shared uncertainty about how much of their LGBTQ+ identity to reveal for fear of ‘pushing an agenda’.
The research highlights how pre-service teachers from minoritised groups often experience a disconnect between their personal identity and the dominant professional culture of schools. Social activities built around drinking, assumptions about clothing, and the invisibility of minoritised narratives within curricula all contribute to feelings of exclusion. Crucially, these experiences aren’t isolated. They’re shaped by wider societal power structures and norms which remain embedded in teacher education. The study also showed that attempts at inclusivity, like supportive email signatures or diversity banners, can feel tokenistic if not backed by meaningful change in practice and culture.
Using a model of ‘critical incidents’, the study examined how pre-service teachers respond when faced with moments of exclusion or identity conflict. Some accepted these experiences as ‘just the way it is’, while others quietly challenged the norms or actively pushed back against discrimination. The model helps visualise how people shift between acceptance and challenge depending on context, safety, and professional vulnerability. Our findings call for teacher education providers to move beyond recruitment targets and take responsibility for creating genuinely inclusive environments. Representation alone is not enough – it must be accompanied by policies, practices, and cultures that value and support minoritised pre-service teachers throughout their training. To truly build an inclusive teaching profession, we must listen to and act upon the voices of those historically marginalised within it.
It is not the responsibility of minoritised individuals to ‘fix’ exclusion – change requires collective effort. Teacher educators, schools, mentors, and policymakers must acknowledge discomfort, surface inequalities, and work together to build communities of practice where every teacher feels safe, seen, and valued. As one participant reminded us, it’s not about a ‘tick-box’ exercise. It’s about recognising that who stands at the front of the classroom matters – for the teachers themselves, and for the diverse pupils watching them.
This week, the serene landscapes of Pembrokeshire’s National Park will play host to one of the UK’s most uplifting wellness gatherings – The Big Retreat Festival. Among the 300+ experiences on offer, one session stands out for its timely relevance and transformative potential: “Moral Fibres”, led by Dr Verity Jones, Associate Professor at UWE Bristol.
Dr Jones is a leading voice in sustainability education and co-leads the sustainability strand of the Education and Childhood Research Group (ECRG) at UWE Bristol. With over 30 years of experience in environmental and social justice research. Her work spans food systems, biodiversity, climate education, and – most notably for this session – the impact of fast fashion on people and the planet.
In “Moral Fibres,” festival goers are invited to take a closer look at the clothes they wear every day. Through a blend of creative practice and academic insight, I guide attendees on a journey through their wardrobes – unpacking the hidden stories behind the garments we often take for granted. From the cotton fields of China and the US to the garment factories of Bangladesh, I explore how the fashion industry is deeply entangled with issues of social exploitation and environmental degradation.
Not wanting to just lecture – the session will be a hands-on, reflective experience. As festival-goers soak in the natural beauty of Pembrokeshire, they’ll also be invited to reflect on how their personal choices connect to global systems. Participants will be encouraged to think critically about their own clothing choices: Where did these clothes come from? Who made them? What resources were used? And what happens when we throw them away? I’ll be offering practical strategies for making more ethical and sustainable fashion decisions. Whether it’s choosing natural fibres, supporting local makers, repairing rather than replacing, or embracing second-hand, upcycled or vintage fashion, attendees will leave with a toolkit of ideas to help them buy less, choose well, and make it last.
This session is especially timely. The fashion industry is responsible for around 10% of global carbon emissions and is the second-largest consumer of water worldwide. It also generates millions of tonnes of textile waste each year, much of which ends up in landfills or incinerators. Meanwhile, garment workers—many of whom are women and children- often face unsafe conditions and unfair wages. Most importantly our research has shown that fast fashion is the least understood term within climate and sustainable lingo and something we need to address (see full article: Young people, climate change and fast fashion futures).
“Moral Fibres” is more than a workshop; it’s a call to action. I believe that education is key to change, and by helping people understand the true cost of their clothing, I hope to inspire a shift toward more conscious consumption.
Education and Childhood Research Group (ECRG) is proud to present a thought-provoking and vital discussion on race, assessment, and higher education. Join us on Friday 11 April 2025, 14:30 to 16:30, for an insightful session featuring Dr Paul Campbell, Associate Professor in the Sociology of Race and Inclusion at the University of Leicester.
Why this event matters
Despite ongoing efforts to decolonise the curriculum, the ethnicity awarding gap remains a persistent challenge in UK higher education. Students from global majority backgrounds continue to face systemic barriers in assessments, leading to disparities in academic outcomes. Dr Campbell’s work directly addresses these challenges, offering research-driven insights and practical solutions to foster a more inclusive and equitable assessment landscape.
About Dr Paul Campbell
Dr Campbell is a leading scholar in race, education, and social justice. He is the author of Race, Assessment and Higher Education, “the first direct, evidence-based response on the challenges faced by students of colour in higher education assessments in the UK”.
His work not only advances academic discussions but also provides actionable strategies for meaningful change. His expertise spans sociology, history, education, and sport, with a particular focus on how racial exclusions continue to manifest in both academia and athletics.
What to expect
This session will be particularly valuable for colleagues involved in learning and teaching across UWE Bristol. Attendees will gain:
a deeper understanding of the ethnicity awarding gap and its structural causes.
evidence-based approaches to making curricula and assessments more inclusive.
practical strategies to implement change at an institutional and classroom level.
Book your place
Spaces for this event are limited, so early registration is encouraged. Secure your spot today and be part of the conversation that drives real change in higher education.
Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with critical research and contribute to a more equitable academic environment.
On 15 January 2025, ECRG hosted Dr Roi Silberberg, Director of School for Peace – Wahat al-Salom – Neve Shalom, for a research seminar. In the seminar, he explained the School for Peace (SFP) approach to fostering dialogue between Jews and Palestinians during conflict. Rooted in social justice pedagogy, this method emphasizes identity exploration, power dynamics, and critical thinking to build understanding and inspire action.
Highlighting wartime initiatives, Dr Silberberg demonstrated how education is challenging structural inequities, understanding “the other,” and promote reconciliation. Through real-world examples and practical strategies, he offered insights into applying dialogic frameworks in education to address global conflicts and foster sustainable peace.
Watch the recording of the online ECRG research seminar, ‘Dialogue in times of war: The School for Peace method and social justice pedagogy in education’, 15 January 2025.
Alpesh: How and why did the School for Peace begin? How has it changed during its existence?
Roi: The School for Peace began in the 1970s on a barren hill granted by the Latrun Monastery. It originated from a vision of interfaith dialogue by Bruno Hussar, an Egyptian monk born Jewish. However, the young people who gathered there found a deeper connection in discussing national identity rather than religion, leading to the establishment of Palestinian-Jewish dialogue groups. As a few families settled on the hill, the intentional community of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam was born. Over time, the School for Peace expanded its reach, training over 60,000 participants, including youth and adult change agents, to foster mutual understanding and tackle shared challenges.
Alpesh: Can you give an example what topics you cover in the workshops?
Roi: Discussions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict often evoke intense emotions, making the topic both deeply significant and highly sensitive. In many contexts, these conversations are fraught with tension, as individuals fear using the wrong words, offending others, or being misunderstood. Recognizing these challenges, the School for Peace (SFP) has developed a pioneering Terminology Workshop to help participants navigate this complex terrain with confidence and sensitivity. The workshop focuses on how language shapes our understanding and framing of the conflict. Participants explore a curated list of terms such as “occupation,” “conflict,” “apartheid,” and “colonization.” These words are examined for their power dynamics, historical and legal connotations, and the contexts in which they are used. Attendees engage in structured dialogue to consider how and why they might choose certain terms, gaining insight into the underlying narratives and tensions these words evoke. The aim is to create spaces where participants can articulate their views in a way that fosters dialogue rather than division.
Alpesh: What influence do you think the school can have on the current conflict last year?
Roi: The current war underscores the necessity of SFP’s mission. By fostering dialogue and addressing structural inequalities, the SFP creates spaces where both Jews and Palestinians can process their pain and work collaboratively. Recent wartime initiatives involved facilitating communication in polarized institutions and addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza through partnerships. SFP’s approach, rooted in tackling oppression and enabling dialogue even in times of heightened tension, positions it as a unique player in promoting long-term coexistence and understanding.
Alpesh: Does the school have any external influences – pedagogical or political?
Roi: The School for Peace draws inspiration from global peace education theories and the works of critical pedagogists like Paulo Freire and Bell Hooks, emphasizing empowerment, transformation, and critical thinking. These approaches include a sensitivity to gender dynamics, addressing how intersecting identities influence dialogue and conflict resolution. Politically, while the school operates independently, it inevitably engages with the realities of inequality and systemic discrimination central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Its partnerships with international and local organizations further integrate diverse perspectives, from environmental justice to social equity.
Alpesh: How is the school supported financially?
Roi: The School for Peace is supported through a combination of funding sources, including Friends Associations of Wahat al-Salam/Neve Shalom, which operate worldwide, with an active branch in the UK. It also receives contributions from international foundations and generates income by offering facilitation services and consultations to other organizations and institutions. Grants, donations, and partnerships with educational and civic bodies further bolster its financial sustainability. Socially, the school benefits from the Neve Shalom community, which provides steadfast support and embodies the values of coexistence. The alumni network extends its influence, as graduates often continue peacebuilding in their respective fields. However, the polarized political climate can challenge the school’s bi-national framework and mission.
Alpesh: Thank you and the very of best of luck in your honourable mission to bring justice, peace and equality in the country and the region.
Roi: Thank you Alpesh, and please let others know about our work.
More information
Wahat al-Salam – Neve Shalom (pronounced “waaḥat’ as-salaam/nevei shalom”), Arabic and Hebrew for Oasis of Peace, is an intentional community of Palestinian and Jewish citizens of Israel dedicated to justice, peace and equality in the country and the region.
The Neve Shalom Educational Institutions were founded by community members in 1984. These institutions, based on the village’s ideals, work to create the conditions for positive social change.
On 28 June 2024, UWE Bristol hosted the third annual South West Anti-Racist Education Forum (SWAREF), an event organised in partnership between UWE Bristol and the University of Bristol. The 2024 SWAREF aimed to build on the previous two events in 2023 and 2022 and provide informative participatory sessions on issues which local practitioners have identified as priorities: student voice, racial literacy, safeguarding, refugee education and sharing current anti-racist projects and research. The takeaway from the day, described by an attendee, is that education practitioners should be ‘explicitly and actively anti-racist’.
The day commenced by centring the student experience. Bristol Cathedral Choir School students Ella, Maliah-Rae, Ibrahim, Yacub, and Khadijah shared their experiences of representation in their school curriculum through music, poetry, and stories, highlighting social justice issues and the discussion of race as part of Bristol’s history. Combining instruments with spoken word, storyteller and musician, //Kabbo Hue Ferdinand, then shared an indigenous South African story about the painful but potentially transformative process of education for young people.
Experienced educators and consultants, Louise Nevers and Sharon Porter, led a collaborative session addressing the barriers to Speaking about Race in the Classroom, and how to overcome these to ensure misconceptions and racism do not go unchecked. Several professional and ethical principles were given to help practitioners confront racism while centring the wellbeing of their students. Colourism was used as an example issue, and teachers of colour shared their experiences of colourism within the profession and the physiological, emotional, and social effects of this: low self-esteem, depression, and peer exclusion. An enlightening talk followed, focused on race as a social construct and how colourism plays into this as a marketing method in the service of capitalism.
The Projects in Progress panel followed, chaired by Dr Marie-Annick Gournet, featured several Bristol-based anti-racist projects: RepairEd, creating a city-wide dialogue about the local histories of racism; Lit Legacies, bringing Black representation into the curriculum through literature; Black Joy Trails, centring Black joy as opposed to trauma, using literature and introducing children to places in their local area they can associate with joy; Raise the Bar, rectifying the disconnect with Black and Brown students and staff; and Power Education, a tutoring project connecting Somali children to their heritage through reading and deconstructing Somali poetry. Comments from attendees about the panel described the session as a useful ‘networking tool’ for attendees to follow and engage with projects they are interested in. One person wrote: ‘The day was so carefully put together and showcased wonderful community-focused projects across the city. It is apparent that the work going on in Bristol has the learner voice at the centre’.
Learner voice was certainly an integral part of the day; however, one workshop also considered the importance of listening to and engaging with parents. The EAL and Refugee Education workshop was credited as an ‘eye-opening’ discussion on the lack of support and provisions for students with English as an additional language. Led by Khadeeja Abunajm and Robert Sharples, attendees heard first-hand accounts from parents of EAL students, who shared their challenging experiences of UK education. ‘Rooted in the reality of funding constraints’, the facilitators nonetheless shared best practice for safeguarding, parental engagement, encouraging multilingualism and ‘talk for writing’.
Claire Neaves, Lana Crosbie, Indikah Smith, and Jessie Abrahams conducted the workshop on Safeguarding and Race, focusing on the lack of safeguarding measures for racially minoritised children within school safeguarding policies. They explained the consequences of staff and school management biases: adultification, stereotyping, and criminalisation of children through punitive behaviour management systems. ‘Teaching new teachers about anti-racism and safeguarding’ was identified as a key take-away for this session.
The penultimate workshop on Promoting Retention and Wellbeing of Racially Minoritised Staff, run by Amy Saleh and Claire Stewart-Hall, also provided ample opportunities for the group to discuss and share ideas. The dynamics of whiteness in local schools and the importance of taking accountability and developing self-awareness of one’s own biases were debated, concluding that racism in the workplace should be addressed by analysing one’s own beliefs and sharing these through staff discussions. The effectiveness of this workshop is emphasised through feedback: ‘Claire discussed things in her talk that I have felt but never named and that was powerful’.
The day concluded with a collaborative, Manifesto-writing Activity led by RepairEd, which allowed attendees to think outside of the box about what schools could be like, applying their learning from the day and aspirations for the future. Groups developed then shared their manifestos using card prompts, the session ending with a renewed sense of hope and anticipation for change.
The positive impact of these forums on attitudes towards teaching race is apparent through feedback from the day; ‘I feel more supported to push racial education’. Therefore, it is essential that spaces for discussions about race and anti-racist practices, such as this forum, are available. Moreover, witnessing the commitment of educators to deepen their own understanding of race and support their minoritised students is encouraging and uplifting. Being ‘heartened to see so many practitioners and scholars working on this’ should be a shared experience for all educators. Therefore, SWAREF continues to inspire and educate those who attend, sharing the message that ‘anti-racism is for everyone’.
On the afternoon of 25 April 2024, just as children piled out of school, the RESPECT project team were putting their final touches to a billboard in Bristol that in invited people to think about what life would be like without racism.
The new billboard aims to amplify children’s voice and start conversations on this important topic. It features an illustration from the book that was co-authored with children from the project and invites people to think about what a world without racism might be like – giving us space to think about what changes need to be made.
The ‘If Racism Vanished for a Day’ book co-authored was developed following research about 10 and 11-years olds in Bristol. This billboard is in response to the children demanding that anti racist education not be condemned to tokenistic celebrations of what it is to be Black during Black History Month or in response to a racist attack when it hits the media. Instead, children want to have opportunities to discuss these important issues through the year.
The children said: “…racism is not okay, and we want people to understand the way it affects us.”
A visit to the billboard in St Werburghs can hopefully provide an opportunity to start a conversation with children about these important issues and get children’s voices heard.
The team continues to work with schools across the UK and through this work we often hear adults say that children don’t understand what racism is, or that they don’t or can’t recognise it. We can confidently say they do and they want change. The RESPECT project offers free resources to teachers on how to discuss racism and its impact on young people.
The ‘If Racism Vanished for a Day’ book is available in print or as a free e-book and is available here:
Big thanks: to all of the children who so generously shared their experiences; funders – UWE Bristol and UKRI – and installers Adblock Bristol.
RESPECT Team: Verity Jones, Luci Gorell Barnes, Tessa Podpadec, Chris Pawson, Sarah Whitehouse, Malcolm Richards, Justin Vafadari.
Tuesday 19th March 2024 – 4:15pm-5:30pm // free and online // Eventbrite registration required for non-UWE colleagues
By Malcolm Richards – Senior Lecturer in Education, School of Education and Childhood
The third in an exciting series of collaborations by Network for Black Studies in Education, in collaboration with UWE ECRG, Bristol Caribbean Kitchen, Bookbag (Exeter), and Phoenix Agenda Supplementary School (Leicester).
Overview
Culture Club: Words, Sight and Sounds remixes traditional book club formats, using digital sources to encourage a creative learning space for teachers, student teachers, community educators, and academics. We are specifically interested in developing deeper understandings of the wide-ranging area of Black Studies scholarship, and its relevance to local-global contemporary education.
Our guest discussant
We are delighted to welcome as our guest, Dr Rita Gayle (University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK).
Rita Gayle (she/her) is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow for The Conjunctures Strand of The Stuart Hall Archive Project at the University of Birmingham. Rita is a co-founder of the research group, Global Black Geographies with Dr Agostinho Pinnock in 2019. Rita can be found online on X : @rita_gayle
How it works:
Ritahas selected THREE digital resources inspired by Words, Sights, and Sounds, for us to respond with. Two of these stimuli are freely available from digital sources, with URL links provided on registration.
Attendees will have several weeks to engage and reflect with the resources.
Event structure:
On the day, Dr Rita Gayle will explore THREE which stimuli speak to how creativity, place and space affect the production and transfer of Black knowledges.
· (from 4.15pm) Embodiment of Black Life – a specially curated SOUND playlist by Dr Rita Gayle
If you would like to hear any more about joining the Network for Black Studies in Education with UWE, or this event, please contact Malcolm Richards malcolm.richards@uwe.ac.uk
