November 8, 2021, by Amanda Miller

Inspiring the creativity of young black children to combat climate action

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 13 on Climate Action is one of our priority goals at Nottingham University Business School.  We recognise that climate action is a global crisis requiring coordinated actions by all  sections of society. As a Business School, we are committed to bringing about change through our research, teaching, operations and external engagement. In the run-up to COP26, we hosted a free community event in October 2021 to explore what computer coding can do to address the climate challenge.

Led by Dr Judy Muthuri, the event was attended by young black students from disadvantaged communities in Nottingham.  This community initiative was started in 2012 by Judy as part of the Business School’s widening participation agenda, and provides young students with the opportunity to experience university life for a day.

“We want black youngsters to know that the University of Nottingham is a welcoming and open space for all – irrespective of their race or gender. We seek to spark these black kids’ desire to embrace the opportunities and possibilities that our university presents.” said Dr Muthuri.

This year’s activities included a tour around the award-winning Jubilee campus. The guided tour – led by Michael Kioko from the university’s Estates Department – gave the children the opportunity to learn about the distinctively modern and sustainable architectural buildings on the Jubilee campus.  They also learnt about the Business School’s role as a UN Principles of Responsible Management (UN PRME) champion, and our efforts to embed sustainability in teaching, research, operations and external engagement

Kevin Brown from Rolls Royce observed: “The visit ignited the pupils interest in studying at university. Listening to the presentation of their Vision Boards  it was clear that  these young people want to go to universities that offer inclusive and exceptional learning environments.  They did not only share what they wanted to become in the future but also discussed what they needed to do today to make their career dreams a reality.”

Judith, a year 8 pupil said: “This day really showed us options of things we can do – you don’t have to stick to one career or goal. It really opened our eyes.”

To unleash their creativity, the young people were introduced to the world of virtual reality by a coding expert Asif Mussa.  They programmed a VR robot to help clean up plastics and rubbish in our seas.

“Learning how to code can really help you decide whether you want to do that in future,” said Nataliya, year 9 pupil.

“Thank you so much for inspiring these young people to live their vision. They are our leaders of tomorrow. I am so grateful for being part of an empowering event. My boy has told me what his presentation was all about. I am impressed,” said Angie, parent.

Judy added: “We are conscious that these widening participation events must not be delivered only during the Black History Month. Certainly, the visions shared by the pupils should be a catalyst for us to increase our engagement with young black children in our local community. We are exploring the possibilities of starting a Responsible NUBS Coding Club to inspire these children’s creativity throughout the year.  After all, every month is a Black History Month!”

We would like to extend our appreciation to everyone that made this event a great success: all the parents and pupils involved, the parents and student volunteers.

Dr Judy Muthuri

Chair, Social and Environmental Responsibility Group, Nottingham University Business School

Associate Professor, Corporate Social Responsibility

 

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