Be The Future: Inside the Sustainability Incursion That Turns Your Classroom Into a Climate Solutions Lab

There's something really special about the moment a child realises they have the power to help the planet. Not one day when they're older — right now, with their ideas, their hands, their care.

That's the heart of Be The Future, a NSW-based provider creating sustainability incursions that feel less like a lesson and more like an invitation to imagine, build and solve together.

I spoke with founder Sally Giblin about what makes these experiences so memorable for students and so manageable for teachers. What stood out wasn't just the innovation — it was the warmth. These programs are designed to help young learners feel capable, curious and connected to the world around them.

What Makes It Unforgettable

When I asked Sally what sets Be The Future apart, her answer was clear: "Our captivating, interactive, hands-on sustainability experiences — integrated across learning areas — will engage, excite and empower your students."

And she means it. These aren't sit-and-listen sessions. Students are on their feet, working in teams to solve real-world problems through play. From building green streets with preloved Lego to creating climate solutions with recycled materials, every activity is designed to spark joy alongside critical thinking.

The programs weave sustainability across Science, Geography, HSIE and Creative Arts, so you're not adding to your workload — you're deepening what you're already teaching.

The Interactive Projector That Steals the Show

One of the things students rave about? The custom-designed digital floor games.

After a recent Stage 1 Wild At Heart incursion, the school shared that students couldn't stop talking about the interactive projector. Be The Future creates digital games that children play with their feet or props — turning the floor into a dynamic learning space.

Imagine your students physically "planting" trees, guiding animals to safety, or collecting clean energy — all while building their understanding of nature-based solutions. It's active, it's joyful, and it's the kind of learning that sticks.

Sally told me students love the hands-on team missions, and often achieve far more than teachers expect in a short time. It's about giving children agency — letting them see that their ideas matter, their teamwork counts, and their actions can create change.

Sustainability From the Ground Up

What I really appreciate about Be The Future is the integrity behind the experience. All play items used in their programs are made from natural materials, reloved, upcycled, recycled, or, as a last resort, made as sustainably as possible.

It's not performative. It's modelling. And young children notice. They see the recycled materials, the preloved Lego, the thoughtful choices — and it becomes part of the story. This is how we care. This is what it looks like.

Curriculum-Aligned Themes You Can Choose From

Be The Future offers a growing suite of interactive sustainability experiences under the banner Growing Future Makers (ages 5–12). Each theme connects to real-world climate solutions and can be tailored to your current learning focus.

Current themes include:

🌱 Wild At Heart – Nature-based solutions
🍎 Plate Power – Food solutions
⭕️ Trash To Treasure – Circularity and waste reduction
🌊 Wave Makers – Ocean solutions

Coming soon:
☀️ Power Players – Renewable energy solutions
🦋 Green Journeys – Transport solutions
✨ Future Shapers – Young changemakers in action

Each program uses awe-inspiring storytelling, interactive digital games and hands-on activities to bring the learning to life. And because they're curriculum-aligned, you can easily map them to your term's focus.

A Practical Tip From Sally

When I asked Sally what teachers can do to make the most of these incursions, her advice was simple and generous: "Ask us how we can seamlessly tailor our incursions to more deeply integrate with your current learning areas."

She wants this to work for you. If you're mid-unit on ecosystems, food systems or First Nations perspectives on caring for Country, Be The Future can adapt the experience to deepen that learning. It's not about fitting the incursion into your program — it's about weaving it through.

What's Next

Be The Future is also partnering with Taronga Zoo on upcoming programs, which is incredibly exciting. Taronga's commitment to conservation education paired with Be The Future's interactive approach? That's a combination that will give students an even richer understanding of how we protect wildlife and ecosystems together.

If you're looking for a sustainability experience that feels joyful, empowering and deeply respectful of young learners, this is one to explore.

Why This Matters Now

Our students are growing up in a world where climate conversations are everywhere — in the news, at home, in their worries. They need more than information. They need hope. They need to feel like they belong in the solution.

Be The Future creates that space. It invites children to care, to create, to collaborate — and to see themselves as people who can make a difference right now, not someday.

And for us as teachers? It gives us a way to talk about big things gently. To let students play, explore and build their understanding through action. To teach sustainability not as something heavy, but as something alive with possibility.

You can see more from Be The Future HERE