The Skills Academy started planning for Halloween months ago using their horticulture and gardening skills to grow giant pumpkins. Seeds were planted in the community garden, which young people care for with the help of our Sustainability and Green Skills Instructor. The youngsters watched the pumpkins take shape until it was time to pick and decorate a traditional jack-o’-lantern in time for Friday 31^st�������ٴDz����.

Young people had fun getting creative, adding frightful features and ghoulish grins to their homegrown pumpkins. The result was an eye-catching display of original masterpieces.

Young people hoping to one day have a career in construction can gain the necessary qualifications and experience at The Skills Academy. Alongside the set timetable with familiar instructors, the academy welcomes external businesses to host workshops. Students speak directly with professionals and potential future employers, giving them a deeper insight into the industry they are interested in.  

The Verdancy Group, which delivers sustainability training and guidance to organisations, came along to teach our construction students how to consider the environment when completing building projects. The practical session involved tutorials, group tasks and technical training on topics spanning heat loss and ventilation.

Students saw for first-hand the difference that sustainable approaches can have on energy efficiency. Retrofitting buildings with improved green technologies helps control indoor temperatures and lowers energy bills. Plus, proper insulation creates a healthier living space, maintaining property value. The training motivated the future developers to state their preference would be to design and build in ways that strives to minimise the carbon footprint.

Questions from young people were answered by real-world consultants. The genuine enthusiasm that the experts had about the growing importance of sustainability in construction energised young people to caring about the environment too.

As the academy students continue working towards a career in construction, their understanding of building sustainably, adds a competitive edge to their CV in an increasingly eco-conscious field.

Construction Instructor Craig is an experienced joiner who mentors young people interested in learning a trade. Craig motivates the aspiring apprentices to get involved in a wide range of development projects, becoming confident in using different tools safely, taking measurements, and building pieces into place. He wants young people to take pride in what they are working on and makes the time to share the purpose and function of the build. By being interested from the start, young people are more likely to pay close attention to detail throughout the manual process and realise the reward in watching their progression be the reason for a visible transformation.

The Skills Academy is 91����’s education and training centre that helps young people prepare for the world of work. Pupils who may not have enjoyed going to school before, now have the opportunity to try a new learning environment. Within the academy, there are dedicated areas for each subject. There’s our car garage for mechanics, greenhouses for gardening, and a large open-plan space to build, bricklay and operate machinery for construction.

An essential part of being a joiner is woodwork, and when teaching, pieces of wood need to be cut with power saws. To help contain the dust, an enclosed workshop within the shared space would be useful, and the opportunity to build one happened when a previous project had leftover timber. Immediately, Craig envisioned a plan for a wooden structure, big enough to house the large power saw and cut wood.

Instructor Craig and the students worked together and an an impressive structure is beginning to take shape within the construction site at The Skills Academy in Hillington.

Craig explained the thought required: “A lot of work went into the build, and there are still stages to go through before it becomes a workable area. All the slats of timber had to be cut to the exact brick size of 200mm x 70mm for the brick-slip look.”

“I really try to use my imagination to set up fun and valuable projects that young people will buy into. I know myself how much more enjoyable it is to complete a project you can visualise.”

“I want them to stay committed and see the project through, even with all the ups and downs that come with being a teenager figuring out their path. Hopefully they’ll learn a bigger life lesson and prove to themselves that they can finish what they start – even if life gets complicated.”

91���� is striving to become more environmentally conscious and The Skills Academy has a dedicated Green Skills and Sustainability Instructor. Recycling materials in our lessons is one way we incorporate sustainability.

Through practical projects and a commitment to sustainable practices, these young people are not only building their skills but also shaping a brighter future for themselves and the community.

The job market is increasingly demanding workers be able to fill vacancies in sectors related to sustainability and green skills. The majority of businesses are striving to find ways to adapt and become more environmentally-friendly, which has led to the UK’s green economy to be valued in the billions. Young people share the ambition of taking better care of the world around them and show genuine interest in learning about horticulture and taking part in lessons that involve fun practical projects.

The Skills Academy is determined to equip young people with an understanding of how to care for the planet’s future, providing a strong foundation that could potentially be applied to industries like renewable energy, low-carbon technologies and waste management, where job creation is growing rapidly.

Instructors and students are encouraging one another to consider green skills and sustainability in everyday life at the academy. When restocking the barista training supplies for making café-style coffees, youngsters decided to turn the outdated coffee beans into a sustainability project.

Youngsters worked alongside Sustainability and Green Skills Instructor, Joe, to grow mushrooms from the old coffee. Joe explained the scientific process: “A clear container was used for us to see the mycelium colonise the old coffee grounds before sprouting the mushrooms.”

The class discussed how growing mushrooms could become a profitable business – selling the produce to restaurants and cafes that focus on farm-to-table dining; farmers’ markets and factories that manufacture mushrooms to be bought in supermarkets. The lesson successfully inspired young people to think of all the ways different waste products could be reused creatively.

Seeing the coffee beans grow into mushrooms had the youngsters in awe: “You have to see it to believe it! It was cool to actually see a mushroom form in front of us. Normally, fungi live underground but we got to watch it grow.”

As the warmer weather (hopefully) approaches, The Skills Academy is keen to try new and exciting biodiversity projects in the garden.

Students who attend The Skills Academy have a growing interest in the world around them. Now, more than ever, young people contemplate the consequences of climate change and want to know how to help stop global warming.

Scottish Leather Group has meticulously worked towards lowering their carbon emissions to create the lowest carbon intensity leather in the world and become an example to other industry leaders across every sector to factor in the environment. A visit to see their business processes in action was an ideal field trip for environmentally-driven students.

Young people saw for themselves how a career in design, manufacturing and engineering has the power to find sustainable solutions that can help protect the environment and benefit future generations.

Throughout the year, pupils and staff work hard to consider the planet. The school strives to factor sustainability into lessons, fun activities and practical projects. We want to do what we can to make sure the world is a healthy place for people to grow-up in and not take for granted cleaner air, green open spaces and fresh water.

Action was taken to make our school a more environmentally friendly place to be and exceed the standards expected of an Eco School with the Green Flag Award. We are always on the lookout for opportunities to recycle, reuse and reduce waste.

Read on to discover some of the highlights from us making our school a more environmentally friendly place to be.

We’ve built a wormery to recycle food waste from the home economics classes and reduce the amount heading to landfill sites.

Christmas Fayre items were made from recycled materials by our talented pupils.

Pupils are learning to grow a whole range of tasty food including potatoes, blueberries and tomatoes. Our herb garden has sprouted with sage and lemon thyme.

Teachers are taking their first steps in bee-keeping and plans are underway for young people to learn about bee-keeping and producing honey. A social enterprise project can be set-up to sell the bee products.

The health and wellbeing of kids and adults has been thought of too with events for Mental Health Week, walking challenges and more.

Moving forward, we will continue with even more valuable projects and try to influence more people to join us in living more sustainably.

Forest View Primary Teacher, Heather, explained how everyone spent their day: “Myself and the other teachers all incorporated energy usage, environmental sustainability and climate control into our lessons. Pupils experienced what school was like without the use of technology. We also used less electricity in the classroom with lower lighted instead of the main overhead lighting. Young people enjoyed the novelty of not using electricity and were open to learning with different resources.”

“Younger pupils took part in quizzes and crosswords and when learning about renewable energy, they built windmills using cardboard tubes and straws to replicate wind power.”

“Forest View is a therapeutic primary school with plenty of outdoor garden areas and farmyard animals. Outside brings plenty of opportunities to learn more about the natural environment too.”

“Chef Cammie who is already mindful of climate change, took the time to spot even more ways he could get involved and potentially use even less electricity. There are small things everyone can do when preparing food in the kitchen to use less energy and Cammie has made great efforts to consistently carryout each action. His lunch menu included a pot of Lentil soup and tasty sandwiches.”

“Overall the day was a success and gave us an opportunity to discuss our environment and the future of renewable energy. We’re now more than ever determined to stick to our climate actions.”

All at 91���� understand the importance of the world moving towards a greener and more sustainable way of life. An organisation we are increasingly taking action to reduce our contribution to the carbon footprint. 91����’s Goudie Academy achieved the prestigious Eco Schools Green Flag award, and across all locations, young people have helped create posters and stickers to remind us all to play our own part in switching lights off when we leave the room. By taking part in Saving Energy Day, it reminds us to make an even greater effort each day.

St Mirren fans and locals were encouraged to donate jackets, hats, scarves, gloves, hats, boots and blankets, which would be distributed to those in need of support as the country faces an increased cost of living.

91����, St Mirren and SLG sorted through the donations collected and arranged for distribution. The sorting volunteers included young people from 91���� who choose to go along and help organise the various items of clothing.

One young person of 91���� shared, “I felt really helpful arranging the kids clothing. I hope someone is pleased with their new coat and it makes them smile.

“I am now a St Mirren fan as it was fun being in the stadium with lots of us working together to help others.”

As well as distributing the clothing to families in the community, local foodbanks and charities, an open day at the stadium was held. Those interested were invited free of charge to select clothing and enjoy a soup and a roll. The food was made by students from 91����’s Skills Academy and the cost of ingredients were covered by SLG.

Ourselves, St Mirren and SLG pulled together our resources to create a heart-warming initiative and the people of Renfrewshire responded tremendously with generous donations, bringing community spirit to life.

Jim Gillespie, chief executive of 91����, said: “There is no doubt that we are facing one of the toughest winters to date and it is crucial that organisations support their local communities as much as they possibly can.

“Our young people are keen to help others and be involved in such a worthwhile project supporting their local community. We are thrilled to be working with our partners at St Mirren Football Club, in addition to our neighbour Scottish Leather Group, as we come together to provide support in this way.”

The Green Flag is one of the most prestigious Eco-Schools awards, where pupils follow a Seven Step Framework to complete the programme. Despite the challenges set by the pandemic, pupils received high praise for their commitment to sustainable Development and climate action, as well as having learned and actively participated in litter prevention, reducing environmental pollution, waste minimisation, waste management, health and wellbeing and local environments throughout their journey.

The award recognises the achievements of the whole school community who took part in a wide range of activities, events and community projects alongside local charities to make a real impact.

The commendation was awarded just days prior to the COP27 World Conference; with pupils also taking the opportunity to hold a round-table discussion closer to home. The 91���� COP27 Conference brought together young people and staff to celebrate the incredible accolade whilst addressing issues around: recycling, energy, food waste reduction and sustainable travel. The Eco-schools project was initiated at the COP26 conference the previous year, with young people also taking part in a number of classroom activities, workshops and marches aligned to the world events.

Litter Picking and Recycling

Litter picking groups were set up to collect and recycle plastic bottles and other items found around our campus. To make a difference in our community, we volunteered with the Darkwood Crew in Ferguslie Park to collect and recycle litter. Afterwards, we visited the Community Market at the Tannahill Centre in Paisley to see the difference that 91����’s weekly collection and donation of food parcels and Christmas food drive was making. We have a close partnership with the Darkwood Crew, where young people also donated £3000 through the Youth Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) and have plans to volunteer in future to support young people’s Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

“We picked all the rubbish up outside Ferguslie Park with the Darkwood Crew. We found lots of rubbish that was lying about including a trolley. We put the rubbish in the trolley and the council picked up all the rubbish bags. After we went to the Tannahill Centre and learnt about how they help people who can’t afford food.” Young Person, 91����

Outdoor Classroom and Gardens

Among the other activities and events to help us achieve our Green Flag status included the creation of an outdoor classroom which was co-designed and developed by young people, planting of fruit, vegetables and flowers to promote pollination, the design of a new school logo promoting our core values and making beautiful bird boxes and benches in our craft and design class. As well as an outdoor classroom, our green-fingered pupils and staff have been creatinqtg a new garden outside our Technical department complete with a beautiful willow arch, colourful plants and seating banks with planters which are filled with fruit trees and bushes.

“A space for outdoor learning would help us by being in different scenery and creating a calm space to learn. It would let us have more options in how we want to learn. School isn’t just about the classroom and young people can struggle in the classroom so getting outside would help them by being able to explore learning in a new environment. It is about experiencing new things and learning skills that will help us in the long run.” Young Person, Kibble

Eco Mural

As part of the curriculum, pupils in Craft and Design worked alongside local artist Kevin Cantwell to complete a stunning mixed-media mural that sits pride of place within our school building. The entire piece is made from recycled materials and shows a concrete cityscape surrounded by sprawling sea, mountains and blue skies. In the distance you can see wind turbines generating natural power and aeroplanes circling overhead as modern living meets the natural world. The artwork is incredibly beautiful and young people thoroughly enjoyed being part of this.

Reducing Food Waste

As part of the award, young people have been growing and selling ‘mix vegetable boxes’ to staff across 91����, with monies raised going towards the Dog Trust charity. In addition, the apples harvested in Home Economics class have helped to enhance young people’s basic food preparation and cooking skills, with an understanding of which foods contribute to healthy lifestyles.

Health and Wellbeing

There has been a flurry of activity to promote active, healthy lifestyles with young people taking part in regular yoga and mindfulness sessions, promoting key calendar events such as Purple Friday with cycling and walking challenges, Forest Schools activities and Sailing Voyages with Ocean Youth Trust. These opportunities have allowed young people to experience the great outdoors, supporting their mental and physical health.

To have achieved the Green Flag Eco-Schools Award is an incredible accolade and is testament to the hard work, commitment and compassion of young people in making our world a better place. This is only just the beginning and with ambitious plans in the pipeline to introduce an electric vehicle fleet, electric charge points, widen food recycling activities and strengthen our overall Zero Carbon campaign, we can’t wait to see what the future holds.

“Keep up the outstanding work and a big congratulations again to Goudie Academy from everyone at Eco-Schools Scotland!“

What is the Youth Philanthropy Initiative (YPI)?

The (YPI), funded by , is a citizenship programme, which empowers students to make a difference in their community through local grant-giving, while developing important skills including teamwork, research and competitiveness.

Our Participation

91����’s Goudie Academy delivered YPI and in class, pupils learnt about different social issues before being put into groups to select a problem affecting their area, that they wanted to help resolve. The next stage was to research charities working towards their chosen cause before creating a team presentation on why their preferred charity deserved to receive a grant.

Each group met with charities through an online video-call and interviewed the kind-hearted individuals working to make a difference to the community. Young people asked questions and gathered information about the charity, what it takes to keep it running and the impact it has on people living in the local area. They were able to find out specific details about the charity and use the insight to create a thorough, heartfelt and accurate description of all the charity’s achievements day-to-day. The presentations effectively highlighted why the charity was important and how a £3K grant would be spent and the significant impact the donation would have on tackling an apparent, key social issue.

The Final

The two charities which made it to our Goudie Academy final were Darkwood Crew and Respect Me. Darkwood Crew is based at the Tannahill Centre in Ferguslie Park with the aim of ‘helping Ferguslie flourish’ by focusing on food security, fuel poverty, isolation and loneliness, mental health positivity, and the local environment. Respect Me is Scotland’s anti-bullying service and has the vision of a respecting, equal and inclusive Scotland, supporting children and young people to live free from bullying.

Our final was attended by members of the charities and representatives from YPI. Young people produced outstanding video presentations for the judging panel to review and decide who deserved the grant.

The final decision was made with Darkwood Crew being awarded £3K and 91���� generously donating £1K to Respect Me. The money was donated in July and upon returning to school, pupils were keen to hear if their donation has helped.

The Impact

Darkwood Crew have shared that the £3K donation has had a great impact so far. The financial support helped them restock their Community Market, which offers food support by providing £15 worth of shopping every Thursday to those who need it.

Darkwood Crew Community Development Worker, Terry McTernan said: “The money received has helped us fully restock our Community Market in an attempt to help navigate the cost-of-living crisis in the coming months. We are expecting an uptake in demand, so this has helped us prepare and is a very welcome addition to our toolbox.

“We are extremely grateful to have been awarded such a large sum of money and would like to take this time to emphasise the benefits this will bring to many across our community.”

Alex Reid, YPI Scotland Delivery Lead was thankful to the pupils of 91����: “Your efforts for YPI have been nothing short of incredible and inspirational this year in very difficult circumstances.  Thank you for your unwavering commitment to the programme.”

“Our pupils strongly believe no one should go hungry and were determined to do what they could to help make sure families could get themselves good food.

“Young people of 91���� are extremely proud that their efforts have had a direct impact on people looking for help and are keen to continue fundraising for causes that will help the local community.”

Audrey Baird, Executive Director of 91����

YPI is the flagship initiative of The Wood Foundation’s ‘Developing Young People in Scotland’ portfolio of activities.