Are you interested in all things sustainable and making a positive impact whilst at King’s? The Sustainability team have a range of volunteering opportunities, events, and other ways to learn more about climate and sustainability. Find out more and pick your project below! 

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KEATS Sustainability Module and Seminar Series
The online module on Sustainability & Climate is an open-access and interdisciplinary module covering the biggest topics in sustainability from climate change and food to sustainable finance and social justice. It has been fully co-created by a Take Action Team which currently includes about 50 students, staff, and alumni members. It has been complemented by a Sustainability Seminar Series and other events to build a sense of community and support participants in developing transferable skills. The module and seminar series are relaunching in October 2022. Enrol on the module here and register for the seminar series here. 

King’s Climate Action Network
The King’s Climate Action Network (CAN) is an open, interdisciplinary forum bringing together people from the King’s community who are passionate about climate action. Throughout the next year, the CAN will implement actions from the co-created Sustainability & Climate Action Plan through dedicated Take Action teams. These teams will be led by trained and paid student project managers (~8 hours per month) and will cover topics from education to food. Join the King’s CAN.  

One of the current CAN projects is the climate listening campaign in our local communities which aims to hear first-hand about the climate and sustainability challenges they face and to identify how King’s students and staff can work with them. Get involved. 

Education for Sustainability Project
Support the integration of sustainability into all modules and courses at King’s! As a volunteer in this project, you will work with the King’s Sustainability Team and student volunteers to understand the barriers in place to embedding Education for Sustainability (EfS) into the curriculum at King’s and develop an EfS strategy which responds and identifies solutions to overcome these barriers. Apply via King’s Volunteering platform (title: Education for Sustainability Project).

Sustainability Champions
The university’s staff Sustainability Champions work on campus and in our residences to make King’s a more sustainable working environment; reducing the negative and maximising the positive social and environmental impacts. Throughout the year, Sustainability Champions work on implementing projects and actions and working toward gaining a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award. There is the opportunity for students to act as a Sustainability Auditor at the end of the academic year. Find out more.

Sustainability Month
King’s Sustainability Month takes place every year in February. This month is a collaboration between King’s and KCLSU that offers all those involved an opportunity to learn more about sustainability topics, collaborate and connect with others from across King’s and #TakeAction on the climate crisis. The month includes exciting events organised by people from across the King’s community focused on one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Submit your idea for events here. 

QAA: Students driving curriculum quality for sustainability
King’s has joined University of Gloucestershire and University of the Arts to refine the rating approach and assess how well modules at King’s integrate sustainability. Support us to:
– Rate King’s modules on Education for Sustainability
– Help us to identify how we can refine the rating scale to King’s sustainability goals and strategies
– Communicate the results of the project across the Higher Education (HE) sector and apply findings to broader HE context
Apply via King’s Volunteering platform (title: Sustainability curriculum quality audit).

Culture Climate Collective
This academic year, King’s Culture and King’s Sustainability teams launch the King’s Culture Climate Collective, a new network supporting students’ art, creativity and storytelling as powerful forces for transforming our climate emergency. Created with and for King’s students, the Collective will feature collaborative arts projects alongside vibrant participatory events to enable you to build community, generate new visions and take action for a sustainable future. Join us at the first Weathervane event on 13 October 2022. 

King’s Community Garden
Did you know King’s has a Community Garden on campus? Email kingscommunitygarden@kcl.ac.uk if you would like to contribute to this garden or get more information. Check out how to find King’s Wolfson Card Courtyard Community Garden here.

Podcast
The King’s Spotlight on Sustainability podcast aims to draw attention to sustainability at King’s and beyond. The goal is to get you thinking about some of the issues and challenges we face regarding climate change and the natural world by highlighting some of the excellent work surrounding sustainability happening at King’s and on a local, national and global level. Start listening here. 

Sustainable Residences
Students living in King’s Residences can participate in the Sustainable Living Community buddy scheme and join the Sustainable Living Communities Facebook group. 

Volunteering
King’s Volunteering is your one-stop shop for discovering opportunities and building connections with people and organisations that are driving positive change in our local communities. We also have a new digital volunteering platform! ​More organisations are partnering with us every day – supporting causes like education, refugees, culture, the environment and many more. Check it out here.

Walk2COP27
Walk2COP27 sets out to accelerate climate action in the run-up to COP27. It’s based around a virtual journey from Glasgow (host city for COP26) to Sharm El-Sheikh (host city for COP27). You can participate by tracking your kilometres travelled under the “Kings College London” team on the atlasGO app, or by learning from others via the planned climate-related meetings and events. The London Townhall is hosted by King’s and will take place on 26th September. Find out more here.

More education-related opportunities 

  • Take part in the AKC programme – the second semester in 2022/23 will focus on climate change.
  • There are a variety of sustainability-related courses and modules available at King’s, a sample of which you can find here.
  • Interested in sustainability research? Why not tailor your dissertation towards sustainable themes? Get in touch with us if you have questions or ideas.
  • If your PhD focuses on sustainability, then you might be interested in joining the Climate & Sustainability PhD network – email climate@kcl.ac.uk to find out more.

General

Careers

  • The Sustainability team is often looking for King’s students and graduates to get involved. These opportunities offer skills learning and work experience in a growing field. Keep up to date about any job openings through our newsletter and King’s careers platforms.
  • All of those who make a significant contribution to sustainability at King’s will be recognised through the Sustainability Awards and/or the King’s Experience Champion for Change Awards. 
  • Check out these useful resources: Sustainability events recordings here (KEATS), Industry guide on Charity, NGOs, Development & The Environment here (KEATS), Blogs about careers in sustainability here.
  • Keep an eye out for Sustainability careers information sessions and opportunities via King’s CareerConnect.

Make a difference during your time at King’s!