Every Little Helps Beacon School to make Rock Pooling Accessible.
Some young people dream of inventing the next big app.
At Beacon School, they were more interested in rock pools.
Throughout their Blue Influencers journey, students explored environmental issues close to home while discovering that some of the most fascinating wildlife can be found hiding between the rocks along Kent's coastline.
Early sessions encouraged everyone to share ideas through games, discussions and surveys before heading outdoors to explore the school's wildlife pond and green spaces. Ocean Stories and Watery Imaginations activities sparked conversations about marine life, conservation and how our everyday choices affect the natural world.
One particularly exciting idea soon surfaced creating community rock pooling kits that local families could borrow to explore the coast for themselves.
Alongside this, students learned from Thanet Coast partners and were inspired by one participant already working as a Geopark Ambassador. Seeing another young person leading environmental action helped demonstrate that making a difference isn't something reserved for adults.
Like many school projects, there were a few timetable gremlins along the way. Illness, transition week and scheduling challenges meant not every visit could happen as planned, but enthusiasm remained high and ideas continued to grow and we hope to pick up wit visit to Leas Lift to discuss siting the kits when the site opens.
Sometimes the best projects don't end when the sessions finish they leave young people asking, "What could we do next?" and the group are wondering whether designing an app could be the next step in the journey?