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← TESOL Pop28 okt 2025 · 16 min

Litter Picking, Learning & Lasting Change | Patrick Jackson

Litter Picking, Learning & Lasting Change | Patrick Jackson28 okt 202516 min

From one class pack to a million hours of environmental education. ELT author and creator of Picker Pals, Patrick Jackson, shares how a single idea grew into a movement that’s transformed classrooms and communities. From storytelling and sustainability to litter-picking with families, Patrick explains how Picker Pals empowers children to take action, while learning along the way.

Watch with closed captions.

TALKING POINTSHow Patrick’s early ELT materials inspired Picker PalsWhat a classroom teddy has to do with environmental actionWhy creative projects lead to bigger career breakthroughsThe joy and power of collaboration — even with competitorsHow to bring real-world issues into the classroom

ABOUT

Patrick Jackson is an ELT author known for publications such as Everybody Up and Shine On. From 1996 to 2008, he lived and taught in Japan, and has since travelled widely as a speaker, sharing practical, common-sense approaches to language education. Patrick is especially interested in how classrooms can connect meaningfully with the wider world — and believes they’re at their best when they become places of purpose.

Since 2018, he has been the Creative Director of Picker Pals, an award-winning programme that motivates and equips primary school children to lead their families on litter-picking adventures and build a positive environmental mindset. Picker Pals has now been adopted by 72% of Irish primary schools and is expanding internationally.

RESOURCES & REFERENCES

🔗 Picker Pals World

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