CliCPoLit Student Parliament

The Blackrock Castle Observatory Education Team invite you and your students to join us in an Erasmus + student parliament activity centred on the timely topic of light pollution. Student Parliaments are a long established method by which to deepen student engagement with a given subject. This student parliament will specifically encourage critical thinking skills and scientifically informed debate to further explore light pollution within the framework of 4 themes.

The themes:

• Light Pollution and Impact on Biodiversity
• Light Pollution and Impact on Energy Usage
• Light Pollution and Loss of the Night Sky
• Light Pollution and Satellite Constellations

Teams of 4 to 6 students will  research a theme, reviewing facts with experts (this would be a remote session to your class) and then preparing their own resolutions which can be debated by the class (or classes within a school) in a parliamentary setting. A class may choose to focus on just one theme, or all four. The resolutions that are agreed by a school can then be brought together and may even be presented a national level (Subject to scale of uptake). Several of the national parliament teams may then go on to join the international final event.

The project is scheduled to culminate in a European-level online event with our partners in Greece, Portugal and Germany where we will discuss resolutions put forward by each country.

This project is supported by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

Audience: This event is ideal for JC and TY students, though LC students are welcome to participate.

Cost: Participation is free

Timeline: In-school activity until March 17th 2024. National parliament at a date between March 17th and Easter (TBD) and European level event post-Easter (TBD. Likely 3rd week of April)

Resources: Student Parliament Guide

Register: To get involved simply contact our education officer Frances today to register your interest.

Project Number: 2021-1-IE01-KA220-SCH-000027825