East London students eye sustainability sector for future careers
Above photo credit to: Luke O’Donovan
Rachel Bell, Project Manager, Education Works
With climate change a key topic of discussion for us all, as well as the upcoming COP 26, it is no wonder students are getting more engaged in this topic. One noticeable change the ELBA Education team have observed is the growing interest in sustainability and the environment as a future career pathway.
With this burgeoning focus on recycling and sustainability, the ELBA Education Team have been organising more workshops on sustainable energy resources and networks being set up within our partner companies, including Tyler Grange.
Alongside these fantastic and lively events, we have also been thrilled to work with New London Architecture, an independent forum for discussion, debate and information about architecture, planning and development in London, specifically about donating benches to local schools. These benches are unique, locally designed pieces of art that have previously been modelled (and sat on) around London and now hopefully serve as a source of inspiration for the students interested in architecture and sustainability. One bench stood out regarding sustainability; named the ‘Beluga Bench’, this bench had been 3D printed using bioplastics and so is completely waste free! The lucky recipient of the bench was Norlington School and 6th Form in Leyton, with the bench finding a new home in the 6th form centre for the students to enjoy.
Hannah Askari, Programme Coordinator, London Festival of Architecture & NLA Collaborate at London said:
“We are thrilled to partner once again with ELBA and contribute to a more sustainable environment. These benches are designed and installed as part of the London Festival of Architecture, and are served to be in the public realm temporarily, so it’s great to give these benches a second life by gifting them to schools whose pupils can enjoy these benches for many years to come. I hope the Beluga bench catches the imaginations of the students at Norlington School as a creative design for a simple piece of furniture completely made from sustainable materials”.
Nine new benches have just been installed around the City of London and Aldgate, keep an eye out for these interesting and thoughtful pieces. Read more about this here.
Keeping up the theme of recycling and sustainability, many of our organisations have excess tech equipment, which is still in working order after upgrading their devices. Barclays recently donated 226 iPads to ELBA to be distributed across our partner schools. This will dramatically improve the workshop access of the students and ensures there is no unnecessary tech waste.
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