Nine-year-old Mathilde has launched a neighbourhood campaign to reduce human impact on the earth and save animal habitats. The Year 5 student was inspired to act after studying ‘Sharing the Planet,’ an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme unit, with her class. The unit included information about the effect of green-house gases on polar bears and the impact of mining on chimpanzees.

‘The aim of the PYP is to develop internationally minded people who will help to create a better and more peaceful world,’ said Mathilde’s teacher, Melissa Stewart. ‘It encourages student-directed learning, to build and develop young people’s natural curiosity.’Mathilde rose to the challengeof the PYP approach by creating an informative flyer about the threat posed by greenhouse gases and inviting her West Pymble neighbours to take three easy actions:

1. Deliver their used plastic bags to her home for her to deliver to Coles for recycling
2. Deliver their used mobile phones to her house for her to bring to school for recycling
3. Join her in turning off their lights for Earth Hour and throughout the year when leaving a room.

Mathilde’s parents say they can’t believe the change in her since she started at Ravenswood at the beginning of this year. ‘Mathilde has never learnt like this before – she is used to receiving worksheets and instructions to follow,’ says her mother Jenny. ‘This student-directed style of learning has woken something up in her. We are so proud of the courage, initiative and leadership she has shown.’

Four out of ten of Mathilde’s neighbours turned their lights out for Earth Hour but she has not given up the fight. The nine-year-old is now working on further ways to encourage environmental action in her local area. She has also been nominated for a ‘Pride of Ravenswood’ award.