Worriers to Warriors

Together we asked whether the college, alongside students and industry, could co-create a curriculum and college experience that set students up to help drive and develop green industries for the future. And, just as importantly, could we help empower them with the confidence and agency to do it.  

The answer was a resounding ‘YES’. 

“There should be more stuff like this in college, to show learners and other people outside the college, how to make our local areas a greener and more sustainable place, to grow a better future for the younger generation,” one student said. 

Rooted in Action

Following COP28, some were left disillusioned that a lot of the previous promises had yet to be turned into action and were not convinced the new promises would see fruition either. The Conference of Possibilities however was firmly rooted in action – bringing ideals, ideas and economic realities together, but pushing boundaries of what is, and could be possible in a school, a community, and a region – all within the shared spheres of influence. By discussing change, with tangible examples and real life experience, we started the process of creating a shared vision. This left students with more confidence for their future, a future full of possibilities. 

“Every student I spoke to wants to build in confidence, they don’t know how to do so yet, but everyone wants to grow their confidence to make more of a difference,” said COP speaker Andy Middleton who is a B-Corp Ambassador. 

Students, Andy added, should be working on real world challenges such as health, food, farming, and fashion. 

David Todd-Jones from Wild Connect agreed the most rewarding part of the event was seeing learners engage with the topic. 

“At first, they were a not sure, but the more we spoke, the more came out, and there’s some great ideas. They are the workers and communities of the future and therefore are a gateway into communities,” he said.  

The conference also gave those who were not sure how to enter the green economy market a chance to connect with industries and think about the different options, which they did not know were available.  

"It was nice to physically connect and figure out the best way to do that. There are so many types of careers out there, that can give anxiety on its own, wondering which way to go. But if they get to speak to people in the industry, they might get a better idea of where they want to go,” Francois Beyers from Câr y Môr said. 

It was an interactive and innovative Green STEM event, sparking curiosity and opening young minds to the possibilities ahead. Not only did we showcase the exciting potential within the green sector, but also played a crucial role in setting up the next generation for Wales' Green Industrial revolution. 

“It was good to hear from professionals about what different organisations are doing for a greener future,” another student said.   

A World Of Possibilities

Why is this a Conservation Without Borders priority? Our expeditions involve talking to lots of people around the World and have shown the power of young people, when they aren’t just concerned and anxious about the world, but feel empowered to act. When worriers, become warriors. 



When the younger generations are given the confidence and agency to challenge the status quo, focusing on ideas and solutions, and given space to test those with real world examples, we open up a world of possibilities for them, and create the problem-solvers for the future.  

Before the conference began, we asked students to describe how they feel about their ability to shape a better future when they leave college - the vast majority felt very uncertain.  

“But what gave me hope is the enthusiasm from local industry to build a climate response from the ground up and work with students to do so, both in terms of offering opportunities to learn and try different careers but also helping build the confidence which has been impacted by COVID isolation," Sacha Dench, CEO of Conservation Without Borders said.

“The willingness of the college and teachers to listen to the group’s suggestions, be bold and think more broadly about challenging the current model of the ‘typical’ college experience, also gave me great hope that our Conference of Possibilities can lead to real impact not just for the students, but to the wider community,” she added.   

We look forward to working with Coleg y Cymoedd and industry partners over the coming year and spreading this movement further, inspiring more students and contributing to a greener, brighter future together. 

This event marked the beginning of a year-long pilot initiative, and we're excited to expand and bring this experience to schools across the UK.  



“Projects like this are crucial to unlocking the potential of the next generation as the engine of the green economy that’s already building here in Wales. As well as learning loads from working with the students during the day, I also got to share the stage with some amazing and inspiring speakers, who fill me with hope and spur me on to help shape a better future at Orangebox too,” Gareth Banks, Orangebox said. 

Do you know a school that could be interested in a Conference of Possibilities? Email Sacha here. 

Big thanks to Iolo Williams: Nature Presenter & Guide, Natalie Rees: Transport for Wales, Craig Evans: Costal Foraging, Mark Haviland :Entertainment Industry, Tom O'Kane : Grower and Educator, William Todd Jones: Wild Connect, Jay Sheppard:  Marine Energy Wales, David Todd-Jones: Conservation Technologist, Gareth Banks: Orangebox, Jess Watton and Francois Beyers: Câr y Môr for taking part. A particularly big thanks to Andy Middleton: TYF and B-Corp ambassador, Alistair Aston: Coleg y Cymoedd and Tanya Nash: Sustainability and climate change consultant, for helping us bring this to life.