For the second year in a row, Cognita schools around the world have participated in CNN International’s Call to Earth Day, taking place on 4 December 2024. This global initiative seeks to raise awareness of environmental issues and to engage with conservation education.

This year’s theme, Connected Generations, focuses on celebrating the links between people and cultures, and how sustainable practices developed over thousands of years can still apply to our daily lives, helping to preserve our planet.

Our students from 28 schools across nine countries have wholeheartedly embraced this cause, spearheading projects in their local communities to tackle pressing environmental challenges. These include turning collected waste into art installations and engaging in intergenerational collaborations involving students, teachers, and parents.

Our older students were encouraged to team up and produce videos in which they read out letters to their future selves, sharing inspiring ideas for living more sustainably and having an impact on future generations. Several of these videos are displayed on the CNN website.

Adding to the excitement this year, Anna Stewart, CNN Correspondent visited Southbank International School in London to explore how sustainability is woven into the IB curriculum. During her visit, she interviewed Tom Lenham, IB Diploma Geography Teacher and former leader of EcoSchools; Tom spoke about the innovative ways Southbank incorporates sustainability into its teaching, emphasising how the IB curriculum prepares students to address environmental challenges with creativity and critical thinking. Anna also spoke with CAS students about their impactful projects, such as community engagement and environmental conservation in Kenya and Tenerife. These insights and conversations will feature in a special Call to Earth segment, bringing their incredible efforts to a global audience.

Dr Simon Camby, Cognita’s Group Chief Education Officer, said: “We are grateful for CNN International’s renewed partnership and commitment to this crucial issue. This unique learning experience takes students out of the classroom and helps them develop their social responsibility while giving back to the local community. Above all, it’s an essential reminder to take forward lessons of the past in order to create positive change for the future.”

To view a selection of our students artwork and video projects, visit the CNN website now.