
Litter Picking, Learning & Lasting Change — with Patrick Jackson
From TESOL Pop by TESOL Pop
October 28, 2025 · 16 min · Season 11 · Episode 12
About this episode
Patrick Jackson discusses how his initiative Picker Pals has transformed environmental education in classrooms and communities.
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 POINTS How Patrick’s early ELT materials inspired Picker Pals What a classroom teddy has to do with environmental action Why creative projects lead to bigger career breakthroughs The joy and power of collaboration — even with competitors How 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…
People in this episode
Guest: Patrick Jackson
Topics covered
- environmental education
- sustainability
- creative projects
- collaboration
- real-world issues in education
Keywords
- litter picking
- environmental action
- education
- children empowerment
- classroom projects
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Picker Pals
Books & works: Everybody Up, Shine On
Places: Ireland
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