Ask your child: what did you do today?
NUSTEM have been into school to do the sustainability consultant workshop with your child. During the workshop, we supported the children to feel more confident that a career in STEM is for ‘people like them’ by trying some of the activities a sustainability consultant might do in their job.
Ask your child what they remember about the workshop.
They might remember:
- Talking about the environment.
- Thinking about the raw materials that shopping bags are made from.
- Testing the shopping bags to work out which was most sustainable.
We introduced three attributes that the children may already have or can develop: passionate, open-minded and a communicator.
Ask your child which attribute they were using in the activity.
By discussing STEM careers in terms of these attributes, we are encouraging children and young people to see themselves as having the skills to work in STEM.
What do sustainability consultants do?
Sustainability consultants help people and companies understand how the things we use affect our planet. They look at how products are made, what materials are used and how much energy is needed. They also think about how often we use things and what happens to them when we don’t want them anymore.
These experts help companies make choices that are better for the environment. They think about whether products can be recycled or if they just end up in the rubbish bin. They want to make sure the things we use today won’t harm the world tomorrow.
When companies listen to sustainability consultants, they can make products that work well but don’t damage our planet. By carefully thinking about sustainability, this means we can enjoy the things we need without worrying about harming the environment. It’s about finding a good balance between what we want now and keeping the Earth healthy for the future.
Activities to try at home – what are the products around your house made from?
Today we looked three different types of bag – one made from plastic, one form cotton and one from paper. We also talked about the raw materials each bag was made from.
At home you could go on a scavenger hunt around your house. Can you find three items that are plastic and made from the raw material crude oil, some that are made from cotton, and some that are paper and are made from the raw material wood.
