Pearson College UWC faculty member Lucas Olscamp is one of four finalists for the 2023 Burjeel Holdings Oxford Saïd Climate Change Challenge in Dubai, UAE.
The challenge will take place during COP28, a United Nations climate conference, providing the Metchosin teacher with a platform to present his innovative coursework as an integral component of the school’s Climate Action Leadership Diploma (CALD) program.
“It’s always been my dream to attend COP28 and even more poignant to be a finalist,” said Olscamp, the lone Canadian selected as a competition finalist, in a statement.
“I am filled with gratitude at the opportunity to be a part of this incredible initiative and am so appreciative at the chance to share my teachings with the global climate change education community.”
The summer challenge invited students to submit and articulate their visionary concepts, elucidate the motivations behind their ideas, and demonstrate the potential real-world impact.
Simultaneously, teachers were invited to showcase their initiatives within the classroom, cultivating awareness among students about the challenges of climate change and fostering creative thinking to address them. Both finalist groups will present their findings during an award ceremony at COP28.
Leading up to and following the challenge, Olscamp leads the N.E.S.T (Narrative, Ecology, Selfhood, and Thinking), a course designed to help students understand who they are, who they want to become, express themselves, and build vital skills to better themselves, people, and the world.
His presentation will show four lesson plans from Pearson’s CALD program that address the complexities of extreme weather and climate change through various perspectives.
The winners will participate in a climate change program at Oxford Saïd Business School next spring. Olscamp was selected from one of more than 600 entries reviewed by 21 judges, proving to be one of the biggest competitions on tackling climate change.
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