Get Started with Volunteering in Primary Schools

Volunteering Guidance to deliver essential sustainability education to young children!

As a volunteer, you have the opportunity to run a short school assembly to a primary school of your choice, using Earth Cubs resources to support you. It’s an amazing chance to excite children about important topics like renewable energy, and explain more about your role!

Your Role:

Share your personal story, experiences of work, how important green skills will be in the future. You will be using Earth Cubs co-created interactive resources and videos to help tell the story. 

What will happen on your volunteer day?

Where?

Your session can happen in-person (at the school) or online (via video-call). We strongly encourage that you go into the school as both you and the children will get a lot more out of it. If possible, choose a session in a school which is reachable for you by car or public transport.

The Assembly

In most cases, the assembly will include the whole primary school, but in some cases you may be running the assembly more than once to accommodate different age groups. The same assembly can be given, but you may want to ask slightly different questions depending on the age range. 

Suggested running order of the assembly:

1. Introduce yourself! Talk about your role at your company. Highlight the BEST parts of your job. 2. In your own words, give a short introduction about your company, for example, what is National Grid?

3. Tell the children why you are there delivering the assembly, for example, National Grid and Earth Cubs are working together to help children learn more about energy transmission and renewables. 

4. Introduce Earth Cubs: Earth Cubs is an interactive platform delivering essential climate, sustainability and environmental education.

5. Introduce the theme of your assembly. For example, tell the children they will be learning all about renewable energy!

6. Ask the children some questions about your topic. - What can you see around you that uses energy? - What would happen if we didn’t have any energy? - Where does the world get most of its energy from today? Why is that bad? - What is renewable energy?  - Do you know any types of renewable energy? - Can you name one advantage or disadvantage of solar/wind energy? - Why is using more renewable energy so important?

7. After a short discussion, play a video to learn more about the topic, for example, these videos will help kids learn more about wind or solar energy. Wind Power:

Solar Power:

8. Or you could choose to run a presentation instead. Presentation examples, What is Wind Power?What is Wind Power? or What is Solar Power?What is Solar Power?

9. Ask the children if they know other ways they can help the planet! Explain that to be an Earth Cub and help the planet, you don’t have to do BIG things, lots of little things can add up to a BIG impact. For example, remembering to recycle, walking more and even switching off the lights! Ask the children if they have any other questions. 

10. Explain that there are loads more videos, resources and lessons about how you can help the planet on the Earth Cubs platform. Also that there is a FREE app where you can explore the world, play games, and protect trees at the same time! Available on iOS and Android app stores. 

We really hope you enjoy your volunteering experience! Do share with us any photos or videos, we'd love to see them!