KATS goes international

Kids' Action Thru Science (KATS), the Hub’s flagship education programme, has expanded to international horizons. Following several successful iterations in both the UK and Barbados, the KATS team recently delivered the latest version of the hands-on educational programme in Delhi, India. 

A megacity of over 20 million people, Delhi suffers from inadequate access to safe water and sanitation services. Combined with a rapidly growing population, declining groundwater levels, above average air pollution, and changing weather patterns, the city’s population faces a growing number of challenges, with the most vulnerable communities suffering the greatest impacts. KATS: India is empowering the next generation to raise awareness of environmental issues within their communities, and collectively take climate action. 

Working together with Hub partners, the Janya Collective, KATS:India was delivered to children from two urban communities, Nizamuddin and Jagdamba Camp, located along the Barapullah Basin, and the Shiv Nadar School in Noida. Over the course of a week, the children took part in active discussions; explored environmental issues relevant to their communities; shared their own emotional experiences of extreme events; and used virtual reality (VR) headsets to see how climate change is affecting the world, and deepen their understanding of the links between local and global.

The children also became citizen scientists, collecting data themselves using mobile sensors and equipment. Their data has been included in the Kids Making Sense ‘Air Quality Data Visualisation Map’, which showcases children’s citizen science data from around the world. After taking part in the KATS programme, many couldn’t wait to share what they had learnt in the sessions with their family, friends, and community members.