Let's Talk Trash 2024

Overview

Dear Head Teacher

Following on from the pilot event last year which was a significant milestone in raising awareness amongst young people in the Maldon District about the blight of litter (aka personal pollution) that affects us all in the county (see https://www.braxtedpark.co.uk/lets-talk-trash/) Essex County Council’s education leads would like to expand this event to include many more schools throughout the County at the Let’s Talk Trash Festival 2024 to be held on 17 July, 2024 from 10:00am-14:00pm at Braxted Park, Witham CM8 3EN.
 
In order to do this, we we are offering an optional schools engagement programme based upon four key educational pathways that fit into the national curriculum with which students might engage as follows:

1. English – A writing competition in which students write an article on the reasons for littering and its negative effects on the environment, Essex wildlife, societal self-respect and the taxpayer and suggest ways whereby small actions by society (e.g. businesses, council, government, individuals) can have a disproportionately large positive impact on those areas. The leading articles chosen by a judging panel will be published in the local press.
2. Maths – Students to design a personal carbon footprint measurement tool with a goal of identifying ways in which to reduce personal pollution and calculating its cost to society.
3. Art and Design – Students to create an artwork using items of litter. A Student judging panel will choose a number of pieces to be displayed at the LTT festival and ultimately then covered by the local press.
4. Geography or Biology – Students to gather evidence (photo or film, see https://cleanupbritain.org/) of personal pollution in or around their school, particularly any affecting wildlife, and to arrange and audit an associated whole school litter pick. 

We hope that the event will be covered by all the local newspapers, magazines and newsletters and regional/national TV and Radio stations: a number of students will have the opportunity of being interviewed for the Let’s Talk Trash mini-documentary for use on the Essex County Council and local news websites.

The vision is for over 50 Essex primary (year 6 pupils) and secondary schools (11-13 years old) to select champions from each of these four categories and this group a) attends the festival as their school’s representatives and b) provides some representatives to create the associated judging panels. Along with a teacher this would mean at least five people from each school. We understand that transport can be challenging, for this reason schools are invited to bring a group of pupils to the event. This could be a coach, minibus or car-sized group.

The event itself will feature key speakers such as John Read (https://cleanupbritain.org/) Luke Douglas-Home (https://www.thecoastlinerunner.com/) and representatives from Essex County Council, Love Essex, Essex Climate Action Commission and Essex Wildlife Trust as well as the four pathways listed above.
 
We hereby request that you hit the link below to register your school’s interest in getting involved in this project. We hope to have a core list of schools engaged by the end of March 2024.