ECO-minded students from the states travelled from one Worcester to another.
They were visiting Worcester University from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Massachusetts as part of a trip to Britain to learn more about sustainability.
Working in teams, their projects have 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.
He 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.
“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 continued: “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.
“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 also had the opportunity to explore Worcester and visit cities including London, Edinburgh, and Dublin.
Gianna Macchione added: “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.”
They all said they appreciated how accessible the city is compared to their home.
