A unique initiative, now firmly established in Morecambe Bay, which continues to develop new ways of educating children from early years to postgraduate, has won a world-class education award.

The Morecambe Bay Curriculum, whose partners include Lancaster University, Lancaster and Morecambe College, University of Cumbria and Eden Project, received the bronze award in the Sustainability Action category at the world-wide QS Reimagining Education awards held in London this week.

The curriculum ensures that different stages of the education system provide the green skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to respond to the climate emergency.

The citation on the award reads: “This project has achieved world-class recognition in education innovation, being selected as one of the top applications from a pool of 1,600 submissions in the QS Reimagine Education Awards 2025.

“The award application demonstrated exceptional innovation, impact and scalability, successfully progressing through four rigorous evaluation rounds conducted by a panel of 1300 international higher education and edtech experts.”

Lancaster University had to pitch the Morecambe Bay Curriculum, including a presentation, alongside stiff competition from across the world including universities in Australia, Malaysia and Azerbaijan.

Receiving the award at the QS Reimagine Education Awards and Conference, MBC Partnership Development Manager Carys Nelkon said: “Morecambe Bay Curriculum is now a globally recognised, award-winning project!

“This recognition for the teachers who have built the Morecambe Bay Curriculum community from the ground up, and for our partners who support them, means so much.”

The QS Reimagine Education Awards rewards the most pioneering pedagogical approaches that enhance learning outcomes, improve employability, and advance sustainability education.

With 18 diverse award categories, it is an opportunity for organisations to showcase innovation on a global stage.

Community-powered, and rooted in the Bay’s environment and heritage, MBC is transforming education across the Morecambe Bay region with 140 schools, colleges and nurseries now involved.

Lancaster University staff and students play a key role in shaping the MBC which was founded in 2019.

Imaginative resources have been developed ranging from biomimicry flight investigations and blue-space wellbeing workshops to beach ecology and recognising colonial history.

Each resource is designed to foster knowledge, values and skills, with adaptations for accessibility and emotional wellbeing.

A host of other activities have included, for example, Welly Wednesdays and Community Woods (the rehabilitation of a forest in Barrow) and the highly successful Little Researchers project which engaged with 200 pupils and 60 volunteers across 15 schools in habitat surveys and tree planting.

QS Reimagine Education is the global forum for higher education and edtech innovators. Is it part of QS Quacquarelli Symonds, which provides university rankings and other services for higher education.

MBC team members, working with Carys Nelkon, include: Partnership Development Officers Dr Irene Wise, Rosemary Hindley and Stacey Gatley together with lecturer and researcher Dr Bethan Garrett.