Good Life Schools
A positive, student-led response to the problem of excessive consumption
The conversations we are having are deeper than just 'adverts are bad' or 'plastic is bad'. I feel like I am actually doing something to help stop consumerism taking over.
High Storrs Student
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Consumerism – our ‘buy, buy, buy’ culture – is recklessly promoted as the route to economic success and personal happiness – with children and the environment as collateral damage. Despite this, consumerism remains relatively unquestioned in society.
Young people are exposed to more advertising than ever, especially on online platforms and social media, resulting in increasing pressure to consume. We all need to buy a certain amount to meet our basic needs, but studies show that prioritising materialistic life goals can be linked to decreased life satisfaction and happiness. Young people are being pushed towards high carbon lifestyles, often at the expense of their own wellbeing.
Schools can play an important part in helping students build resilience to consumption pressures and modelling low-consumption lifestyles.
Global Action Plan designed the National Lottery-funded Good Life Schools programme as a positive response to the problem of excessive consumption, which is driving climate breakdown and destroying habitats.
9,000+
young people, teachers and family members engaged
46
schools taking part
34
community partners supporting schools
73,000
people reached
Helping students reclaim what makes a "good life"
Good Life Schools is a four-step changemaker programme for student groups, supporting young people to reclaim control of their decisions about what makes a ‘good life’ for them, their community and our shared planet (and taking action against being manipulated into highly consumerist lifestyles by incessant advertising and social media). The programme provides opportunities for young people to share their experiences and solutions to excessive consumption with others, through events in the local community, meetings with policy makers, films, articles (and even TV appearances!).
We are currently supporting schools in six regions across the UK. We offer free teacher training and student workshops led by members of the local community. These sessions provide practical skills, real-world perspectives and practical inspiration from people actively working towards positive change in their area.
The Good Life Schools Summit was a celebration of all the young people, educators, organisations and supporters involved in the National Lottery funded Good Life Schools programme in 2025.
The reason why the Good Life Schools project is so important is that the next generation need to learn how to question all our social norms and to create an entirely new and sustainable approach to good living.
Mike Berners-Lee
Thanks to National Lottery players, Global Action Plan has received over £1.1m from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK, to support Good Life Schools. We're working with our partners across England and Wales to bring Good Life Schools to communities across the country.
The Good Life Schools programme is empowering students across schools in Leicester to challenge our consumerist society and actively contribute to a low-carbon future. By facilitating collaboration between schools and local communities, Good Life Schools is creating legacy of environmental changemakers who lead lives which have positive effect on the planet and their own wellbeing
- Leicester City Council
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