How to empower the next generation: Amy Bray from Another Way talks climate education
Amy Bray founded Another Way, an environmental education charity, at just 16 years old.
Now in her early twenties, she’s leading a national movement to transform climate education in the UK.
At Earthfest, Amy shared her vision for empowering young people, reshaping the curriculum, and tackling the climate crisis with optimism and urgency.
We caught up with Amy after her workshops to talk about youth leadership, the failures of the current education system, and the changes she hopes to see in the next decade.
Key Insights from Another Way
🔥 54% of young people say the UK curriculum isn’t preparing them to take climate action, according to research by Another Way.
🧠 Climate inaction in schools is contributing to a rise in eco-anxiety and mental health challenges among youth.
🌍 Amy calls for an intersectional, solutions-based curriculum that addresses environmental, social, and mental health issues simultaneously.
🌱 Another Way is bridging the gap through grassroots education tools like the Power of 10 app, connecting youth to climate action and community.
🚀 The vision: a joyful, sustainable youth climate movement where young people feel empowered to be part of the solution.
An Interview with Amy Bray, Another Way’s Founder and CEO
Amy, could you tell us a bit about your work and why you're here at Earth Fest?
Amy Bray: Hi, I'm Amy Bray. I'm the founder and CEO of Another Way, which I started when I was 16 years old at school in Cumbria. We’re an environmental education charity that empowers people to live with kindness towards our planet. I’m here today as one of the speakers at Earthfest. I’ve been speaking about the power of young people to drive change, and running workshops for the school’s day on climate action.
What’s ‘good form’ on education?
We need an education system that is actually preparing people to take real world solutions, whether it's learning how to start their own campaigns or organisations, get involved with growing food or renewable energy, all of these incredible solutions that can improve people's livelihoods as well as our environment.
What are the gaps you see in the current education system when it comes to climate education?
The education system is pretty broken. It’s not preparing young people for the world they’re growing up into. Climate change is barely touched on—maybe in geography GCSE—and even then, it's sometimes framed in ridiculous ways, like highlighting the "positives" of climate change, such as being able to grow oranges in Cornwall. That’s just not painting an urgent or realistic picture.
At Another Way, our research shows that 54% of young people feel the curriculum isn’t preparing them to take climate action. Many also experience disempowerment, hopelessness, and eco-anxiety, which are contributing to mental health issues. We urgently need an education system that teaches real-world solutions: how to start campaigns, grow food, understand renewable energy. These aren’t just environmental tools, they're life tools.
What’s the risk if we don’t move in that direction?
The biggest danger is that young people—who are tomorrow’s leaders—won’t be equipped to create the transformational change we need. We’re facing multiple crises, not just environmental but social and mental health-related too.
An education system that only teaches one perspective—and ignores the intersectionality of these crises—fails our youth. It leaves them feeling powerless and without the skills to innovate or think creatively. That’s why we’re stepping in at the grassroots level, building solutions through tools like our Power of 10 app, which helps young people build community and take action. At the same time, we’re campaigning to get the Department for Education and exam boards to reform the curriculum so it actually empowers young people.
Looking ahead, what changes do you hope to see over the next 5 to 10 years?
I hope young people feel a genuine sense of agency. I want to see a sustainable youth climate movement across the UK—where every young person can tap into their own unique skills and apply them to solving real-world problems like the climate crisis.
But more than that, I want them to do it with joy and energy—not burnout. I hope the education system starts to understand how mental health, education, and the climate crisis are interconnected. We need to rethink how we teach, so students leave school feeling like agents of change—not bystanders.
Where can people find out more about Another Way or get involved?
You can follow us on Instagram or head to our website at another-way.org.uk. You can take one of our five Another Way pledges there and get in touch. If you're a young person aged 11 to 18, you can also join our Power of 10 app to connect with other change-makers and find community.
