Deborah Hinton

Co-lead
Jan 2021 to Present

In my professional career and volunteering I am drawn to messy complex challenges; to look at alternatives and uncover opportunities for reinvention and innovation. For good or bad I have a tendency to ask not “why” but “why not?

I joined, Melanie Harwood, as a volunteer in 2021, because I believed so strongly in the urgent need for her bold vision of climate change education and have had the chance to ask “why not” everyday.

I bring my expertise and experience in change management, communications and business strategy to this amazing project. I received my Carbon Literacy Certification [2020], I’m a Climate Reality Leader [2019], trained in Creating, fan of Henry Mintzberg’s Rebalancing Society and believer in Leandro Herrero’s Viral Change.

In my role as co-lead, I have helped articulate Mel’s vision and contributed to the design of an integrated whole school approach to climate change education that builds on the early success of eduCCate Global in certifying the very first Climate Change Teachers in the world. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Melanie Harwood

Founder and Co-Lead
April 2018 to Present

I believe in the power of schools and teachers to change the world.  There’s an urgent need to develop students who have the knowledge and skills to take on the challenges of creating a healthy planet for future generations. They need adult allies to support them through this social and economic transformation. Teachers are the key.

Denise Meissner and I co-founded eduCCate Global in 2019 to respond to that need.  After a chance encounter with Angus Mackay, UNITAR, we were inspired to design and deliver the first ever Climate Change Teacher Course. 

My experience as the founder of Start-Bee, a handwriting scheme, taught me two important lessons. Teachers, when given the right training and tools, can achieve what everyone thinks is impossible and become handwriting specialists.  It was a powerful experience and that’s where our eduCCate Global whole school approach and climate change teacher training was born.

As a documentary TV producer earlier in my career has also contributed to our ability to create and build content that is teacher and student friendly.

I’m a member of the Hawkwood Circle, an invited speaker and panelist. I’m a Climate Reality Leader [2019], and have completed the Carbon Literacy Training [2020]. I have a bias toward action and impact.  It helps that I’m just a little bit crazy.

Even though Denise had to step away at the beginning of 2020, Deborah Hinton joined and together we have managed to build on our early success, strengthen our Awards programs and are now working towards offering a better school and teacher experience, deepening their knowledge and ability to ready their students who will be the transformative leaders we need.