An inspiring community hub bringing together arts & sciences, languages & well-being in the promotion of collaboration, inclusion and innovation.
Encompass is a vision for empowering young people globally to reimagine personal and planetary wellbeing
We are approaching climate and sustainability education through a mechanism of empowerment, confident from the research literature that this approach helps to mitigate eco-anxiety.
We are grounded in research, for example using the MIT Sloan, Climate Interactive simulator as a valuable educational tool on which a number of students have trained to be climate ambassadors. Young people have a huge amount to contribute to the sustainable future of our planet. They want to move from protest to being taken seriously, leading the search for solutions.
They tell us “We are the future“
The Latest News from Encompass
Climate change: Rise in Google searches around ‘anxiety’
Online search queries related to "climate anxiety" have risen, according to data gathered by Google and shared exclusively with BBC 100 Women. Studies also suggests that women are more affected by climate anxiety than men. The rise of wildfires, floods and droughts...
The 4 elements of Encompass
Voice
Our urgent global challenge requires a multidisciplinary call to action which needs a new type of collaborative space for people to come together, putting the next generation and their voice at the heart of what we do.
Innovation
We are embedding innovative critical thinking for youth around modelling future systems. Our year 12 students take part in genuine research projects working with academic support from the Universities.
Nature
Acknowledging the interplay between the wellbeing of humans and our planet - creating and spending time in more biodiverse learning environments will benefit the wellbeing of students and their local environment.
Community
We collaborate across Kent with environment, biodiversity and climate groups as well as with the Canterbury Festival, local companies, language and culture partnerships creating opportunities for young people and communities.
Meet some of our innovation advisors
With the scope, enthusiasm and expertise in the advisory group we hope to provide a back up for students who want advice.
We want them to be supported and inspired and we will value and champion their contributions.
We want young people to have real agency, know they will be heard and supported in developing their ideas and solutions.
Encompass aims to be a research centre for students and academics to look ahead involving the students whose future it will be.
The Biojoyversity initiative was launched in 2022 to create opportunities for students to contribute and develop ideas, creating positive pathways to a better, cleaner, greener world; a planet that works for the benefit of all.
It continues to develop research on the impact of biodiversity on mental wellbeing which has been ongoing with the University of Cambridge for the last 8 years.
Supported by a phenomenal group of advisors from academia and industry, Biojoyversity has grown rapidly. These advisors are prepared to support student innovation from across the world.
Our Encompass project now aims to create an innovative space where this initiative can develop and thrive. It aims to combine science, music, arts, ecology, languages and wellbeing in a way that fosters a new interconnected approach to respond to the challenges of the coming decades and encourages activities and initiatives that address the issues of our planet.
Students can understand future challenges through the lens of both arts, languages and sciences and think outside the box for solutions.
Research
We have a major research project in development with Cambridge University to look at direct ways to increase biodiversity and engagement in primary schools.
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Partnership
We already have ten partner primary schools locally as a pilot who we hope will visit this summer for nature workshops and musical opportunities.
To enable these activities to happen all year round we need a space which can be used by schools, the community and internationally as a student hub for conferences, education and innovation.
The Encompass vision grows from a fundamental belief that the potential, ideas and creativity of young people must not be undervalued.
Given support, young people grow and flourish to do amazing things.
School students devised a new cosmic ray detector which flew in space on TechDemoSat-1. They presented their results to NASA and published in Advances in Space Research. NASA then used this data for radiation monitoring on the Orion capsule in the Artemis programme.
If we give young people the space, environment and encouragement they can turn from eco anxiety into genuine progress, understanding and positive ways forward.
An environment centre for education, engagement, empowerment and enjoyment of nature by schools and communities.
A centre for developing innovative approaches to sustainability education by linking creative arts and sciences.
A STEM solutions centre with support from a distinguished international group of advisors collaborating with industry and academia.