Hull climate education programme expanded to primary schools to inspire next generation

A successful climate education programme is being expanded to primary schools so more Hull students can become sustainability changemakers.

Oh Yes! Net Zero’s Climate Changemakers initiative has already inspired hundreds of secondary school students to take action against climate change.

Research has shown that young people are more conscious than ever before about climate change and its impact. A study from the Woodland Trust in 2023 highlighted that seven out of 10 young people were worried about climate change.

Climate Changemakers delivers impactful workshops and provides vital funding to enable schools and students in the city to make sustainable change. Last year, six Hull secondary schools received funding to kick start a carbon reduction programme.

It has now been announced Climate Changemakers is being expanded to primary schools in the city for the first time.

It means the programme will engage with students at an even earlier stage in their learning, inspiring behavioural change and shaping their thinking around climate action.

Climate Changemakers is being rolled out to primary schools in Hull for the first time.

Dr Grace Chapman, Climate Changemakers Programme Lead, said: “We’ve seen first-hand the impact our Changemakers initiative has had on secondary school students across Hull. Students have been involved in some fantastic projects, and their passion has been very clear to see.

“We know how important it is to engage with students at the earliest possible stage of their learning. That’s why we’re expanding the programme to primary schools, so we can meet even more young people and kickstart their sustainability adventure.

“Changemakers has previously delivered sessions covering everything from biodiversity and sustainable drainage, to careers in green energy and the environment. We’d love to hear from more schools in Hull which would like to be involved in Climate Changemakers.”

The expanded programme will cover 10 Hull primary schools, which are feeders to secondary schools already involved in Climate Changemakers.

The primary school sessions will be delivered by Hull and East Yorkshire Children’s University, and held at Thwaite Gardens in Cottingham. They will connect young people with nature, with a focus on biodiversity and creating spaces for wildlife.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy MP, left, speaking to students from Hull’s Boulevard Academy during a trip to Westminster. Credit: R&R Studio.

Students will also learn which tree and plant species are native to the UK, and how planting certain species can have a positive impact on wildlife.

Climate Changemakers has been an anchor project for Oh Yes! Net Zero since the campaign’s launch in 2022. Backed by Founding Partners Reckitt, Hull City Council, Future Humber and the University of Hull, the programme has had a significant role in shaping climate education in the region.

Sarah Brodie, Partnership Manager at HEY Children’s University, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Oh Yes! Net Zero to extend the programme of activities we already offer to students around climate change and sustainability.

“We want to give young people the chance to get involved in things that really matter to them – giving them the power and control to decide, and make a positive difference.

“Initiatives like Climate Changemakers are so important, as we open students’ eyes to the range of careers and futures available to them in green energy and sustainability.”

The programme is being jointly funded and delivered by Oh Yes! Net Zero’s Founding Partners, Hull City Council and Reckitt.

Boulevard Academy students with Martin Budd, Climate Change Manager at Hull City Council and Cllr Charles Quinn, Portfolio Holder for Environment at Hull City Council. Credit: Insight Photography

Activities and sessions with primary schools will begin in September, leading up to an Eco Conference which will be held at The Guildhall in Hull in June 2026.

Students will share the work they’ve been involved in at the conference, and have the chance to meet a range of Oh Yes! Net Zero partners and members to discuss careers.

Alongside expanding to primary schools, Changemakers will be engaging with even more secondary schools in the 2025/26 academic year.

Students will focus on water and its impact in the region. They will explore sustainable drainage system (SuDS) at their own school, and look at how to communicate issues of climate change and water in a marketing campaign.

Martin Budd, Climate Change Manager at Hull City Council, said: “As a Founding Partner of Oh Yes! Net Zero, Hull City Council is proud to be supporting a programme which has already enriched the climate curriculum in schools across the city.

“Hull and the Humber region has embarked on an ambitious and transformational journey to net zero, decarbonising one of the largest industrial clusters in the country and creating a prosperous green future.

“To do that, we will need a skilled workforce and a pipeline of talent. Climate Changemakers plays a significant role as a catalyst to inspire students to consider careers in green energy and net zero.”

Students from Hull’s Boulevard Academy during a trip to Westminster in London, delivered by the Climate Changemakers programme Credit: R&R Studio

Since launching in 2022, Oh Yes! Net Zero has grown to more than 170 active members, including seven of Hull’s largest 10 businesses, as well as scores of SMEs, some employing just a handful of people.

The campaign’s members now employ more than 56,000 people, as business groups, organisations and communities work together to say “Oh Yes!” to a net zero future.

·        To find out more about Climate Changemakers, read Oh Yes! Net Zero’s Year Three Report online at www.ohyesnetzero.uk/yearly-report-2025.