Digital Media Production students at Stratford-upon-Avon College are going green for their work experience as they created social media content for local group Net Zero Stratford in the run up to Great Big Green Week.
Students Ellie McEntee and Ruby Dye-Hallam, who are in their second year of the Digital Media Production course have undertaken work experience with Net Zero: Stratford’s home for community climate action.
Net Zero is a not-for-profit organisation set up to create spaces for climate awareness and action in Stratford-upon-Avon and work on events surrounding the climate emergency, energy saving workshops, community kitchen, repair shops and climate quizzes amongst other events.
Ruby and Ellie have been working with Net Zero advising and creating posts for their Instagram page and worked with them until Great Big Green Week (GBGW): a week of events surrounding climate change which included talks, walks, cookery, farming, gardening, shopping and more.
They really enjoyed their experience. Ellie commented: “I love creating content! Making the short videos, using skills I have developed on the course and seeing a client happy with the result is really rewarding.” Ruby added: “I really enjoy the freedom; I can be creative and express myself and the work experience has allowed me that autonomy.”
Both students are excited to take what they have learnt from this experience with them in the future. Ruby hopes to continue creating social media content and Ellie is interested in working TV and film.
Ruby credits the course for developing her skills: “All the projects at college have been so fun. We have worked with a wide range of people and been able to be collaborative.”
Janet Palmer, Co-Director at Net Zero was pleased to have insight from the students to help promote activities at the charity, with a great emphasis on the help of promoting the Repair Cafe: “It was great to have the advice of Ellie and Ruby with regard to publicising Stratford Repair Cafe to a younger audience. The Repair Cafe is already used by many older residents in Stratford but we would love all age groups to get used to repairing things rather than throwing things away. We repair electrical goods like kettles or lamps, mend garments and offer help with many other items. If anyone wants to see the Repair Cafe in action, it takes place on the first Saturday of each month, from 10am until 2pm (last items for repair to be submitted by 1pm). The venue is Stratford Methodist Church in Old Town where there is plenty of room for all our volunteer repairers and tables for refreshments. Repairs are free but donations are welcome to keep the Repair Cafe going. There is also a “Give and Take” stall where you can take away an item that you think you can use, or donate something you no longer need. So many goods these days go to landfill and we need to reduce the carbon emissions associated with buying more new products than we really need.
Net Zero Stratford would really appreciate further social media help from students at Stratford College, especially when we are publicising different events at our new Climate Hub at 30 Meer Street.”
You can see the content they have created as well as learn more about the work Net Zero do by following their Instagram account: @netzerostratford
It is great to see our students benefiting from hands on learning plus helping to save the planet!
