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Kent Primary students make waves with the World Resources Institute

(07/02/25)

Posted by : Liz Hayes - Transform Our World Youth Engagement Practitioner for Kent

The creativity, imagination and collective action of students from Temple Ewell Primary School in Kent has caught the attention of the World Resources Institute, who have sent them an inspiring message.

The Year 5 and 6 students led and decided on their own project – creating meaningful change by sharing their message about the problem of ocean plastics with their whole-school.

The students decided to create sea creatures from plastic waste, hosted an assembly to spread the word, and chose to spend their project budget on books for the whole school, which they delighted in delivering, class-by-class.

One of the videos made by the students, showcasing how they’d inspired their school with their creations and shared knowledge, caught the attention of the World Resources Institute.

Student from Temple Ewell Primary School near Dover Kent displays his sea monster creation made with waste

Tom Pickerell, Marine Biologist and Global Director of the Ocean Program from the World Resources Institute sent a message in response to the students, saying:

“We were incredibly impressed by your video and the amazing creatures you made.

Removing plastic pollution is one of the major challenges we face, along with overfishing and climate change.

We just wanted to say thank you and well done, we think talking about the ocean like you have is one of the most important things you can do, and buying books on the subject and learning more about the ocean, some of the other challenges that we face is really incredibly important too.

Keep up the good work, and thanks, on behalf of the Ocean.“

The students were bowled over to receive this message from Tom, knowing that the work that they’d designed and created themselves was appreciated and having an impact, and that the action they are taking is creating change.

Temple Ewell Primary School is supported by Liz Hayes, Transform Our World Engagement Practitioner for Kent.

Transform Our World is a Global Action Plan programme supported by the #iWill fund. Through their involvement with Transform Our World young people are becoming more able and more motivated to take collective action for the good of people and planet.