Eco Learning Partners

An innovative and international partnership project linking Scottish and Chinese primary classrooms to learn about climate action and the climate crisis

Over eight weeks, participating schools in Scotland and China engage with a block of lessons focusing on climate change and carbon literacy. Through a series of live link-ups with their partner schools, students from both countries connect with their peers to share what they have been learning and exchange ideas on how they can begin to take action.

 Chinese students share their learning with Scottish students

Should we try Eco Learning Partners at our school?

This is a highly motivating, inter-disciplinary project for young learners, combining language learning with science, technology, social subjects and global citizenship through the key context of Learning for Sustainability. It creates awareness of the issues surrounding climate change and what young people can do themselves to tackle these problems. In doing so, young people develop a variety of skills and abilities, including teamwork, creativity, problem solving, inter-cultural competences, leadership, organisation, linguisitic confidence, and many more.

How can my class get involved?

The project is open to primary 5-7 pupils in any school which has access to a CISS Chinese exchange teacher (CET), or another fluent, qualified teacher of Mandarin who can lead the project in the school. If your school is interested in participating but aren't sure if you have access to a CET, take a look at our Confucius Classroom Hub map. Hubs are there to help share resources with schools across their local authority and where possible we would encourage CETs to support multiple schools to engage with this experience.

The ELP project operates on an annual basis, and begins in the summer term, where there is a reduced time difference between our international learners.

Key Dates

4 Dec Registration closes
11 Nov & 5 Dec Attend an Information Session
11 Dec Confirm Participation in the Programme
6 Feb Framework Training for Scottish Teachers
14 Mar

Framework Training for Chinese Teachers
19 Mar

Final Planning Meeting for Scottish Teachers (online)
Apr

Tech Tests
Week Beginning 28 Apr 2025

Programme Starts

Scottish students join live link-up with China

Objectives and Expectations

Making the most of this project naturally requires commitment on the part of the school and the teachers, and ‘buy-in’ is key. Through feedback from the original pilot project a more structured framework was developed for the 2022-23 launch of ELP, created in partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which participating schools will engage with via meetings, training and a handbook. 

  • Attend briefing meeting and register your class
  • Attend information, planning or training sessions
  • Provide line of communication with CISS
  • Liaise with Chinese Exchange Teacher/ Registered Teacher of Chinese and staff in China to organise link-up sessions.
  • Deliver eight weeks of lessons based on climate change and carbon literacy using  framework provided by CISS, but adapted to fit your context
  • Complete an evaluation survey at end of project

  • Deliver Mandarin lessons based on the framework to participating schools
  • Contribute to the delivery of lessons as required
  • Liaise with Chinese partner school staff
  • Set up MS Teams Chat for inter-class communication and delivery of live link-up sessions
  • Assist with translation and support Scottish and Chinese teachers during link-up sessions

• Provide Chinese exchange teacher to liaise with staff in China and teach Mandarin Chinese content
• Advertise to, inform and register participating schools
• Arrange briefing meeting for interested schools and answer any questions
• Provide training on materials and the framework to follow
• Provide support materials and a forum for sharing resources and information (MS Teams)
• Advise on technology requirements and help schools procure necessary technology
• Liaise with Chinese schools and introduce Scottish and Chinese staff by way of CET / School's Registered Teacher of Mandarin

illustration of teachers by computer screens showing sustainable icons

Climate Ready Classrooms: The Pilot

Featured in the UK Universities' Climate Innovation Showcase, the pilot Climate Ready Classrooms project was introduced to the world as part of the COP26 climate conference, hosted in Glasgow in November 2021. 

Highlighted by the First Minister in their annual Lunar New Year address as an exemplar of innovative engagement between China and Scotlands' young learners, this pilot provided not only a pathway to greater links between educators and learners in both nations, but also a model for other interdisciplinary projects to maintain crucial ties to Europe and the wider world.

Originally conceived in 2018 during one of the regular Headteacher visits to China organised by the Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools, the Covid-19 pandemic would unfortunately delay its launch; however, the sucessful delivery of a six week programme in September 2021, combined with the many lessons learned through observation and invaluable participant feedback, helped shape and inform the direction of the new Eco Learning Partners offer.

Special thanks go to pilot participants from Culross, Clober, Fossoway, King's Park, St. Mary's (N.Ayrshire) and Stornoway Primary in Scotland and their partners at Hedong Experimental, Yueyangdao, Binhu, Wumalu, Xikanglu,  and Tianjin Experimental primary in China.

Registration for 2024-25 has now closed. Applications for 2025-26 will open in Autumn 2025.