Students from Worcester, Massachusetts have been visiting Worcester, UK as they experience life in Britain while learning about sustainability.
The students, from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), have been working in teams at the University of Worcester as they take on projects aimed at improving sustainability.
Zack Gluck said: “We’ve been working with local businesses to reduce their carbon emissions. We’ve created social media posts, helped with grant applications and looked at behaviour changes which are low or no cost to reduce emissions and help them focus on the things they can do.”
The projects included encouraging school students to reduce car use for short journeys and examining what motivates people to behave more sustainably online.
Teddy Ker was looking at how aware people are of the environmental footprint of day-to-day digital tasks like sending emails.
Teddy said: “I learned a lot. It wasn’t something I knew that much about before the project, but it’s something you don’t forget after you know it.”
Teddy added: “I’ve enjoyed the amount of green space you have here. I spent my free afternoons in a spot under a tree by the river.”
Ben Peters said: “We’ve been looking at whether or not it’s possible to bring a programme like the ones you have here from the UK to the US and looking at sustainability literacy and how it varies between the UK and the US.
Ben added: “I think there would be challenges, but the programme would be useful. Schools don’t always have the resources in terms of funding and manpower, but there are principles which could be incorporated without extra resources.”
While the WPI students have been in the UK, they’ve had the opportunity to explore Worcester and visit cities including London, Edinburgh, and Dublin.
Gianna Macchione said: “We’ve seen the local area; we’ve been shopping in the city centre, and we’ve used local cafes and tried the restaurants. The weather has been so nice we’ve been able to walk a lot.”
The students have been speaking about the differences between the two cities. Worcester, MA is almost three times larger in area than Worcester, UK, and has twice the population.
They said they appreciated how accessible the city is compared to their home.
“It’s a very different place,” said Leo Leonard. “Worcester, Massachusetts is a very big place, here is very cool. It’s so walkable, and the weather has been phenomenal!”
Lindsay Bailey added: “We’ve spent time on campus and exploring Worcester, the walkable community is something I appreciate.”
For information on courses at the University of Worcester visit www.worcester.ac.uk or for application enquiries, telephone 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk