The event, themed Wales and the Guarani: Together for Tomorrow, brought together young people, environmental leaders, and representatives of the Guarani Indigenous Peoples from Brazil. Participants had the unique opportunity to hear first-hand about the Guarani people's experiences in protecting tropical forests and promoting sustainability. 

Throughout the day, pupils engaged in a range of interactive workshops and discussions focused on climate justice, biodiversity, sustainable food systems, and deforestation. They explored the links between the food we eat in Wales and environmental impacts around the world, worked collaboratively to design a meal of the future, they analysed their own school menu to make small changes with big impact and discussed practical actions that young people can take to create a more sustainable future.

Students also listened to inspiring talks from environmental campaigners, youth climate leaders, and Llyr Gruffydd, Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability. Ysgol Hendrefelin were also selected to ask one of the questions to LLyr. These sessions encouraged pupils to think critically about the role they can play in tackling environmental issues both locally and globally. 

We are extremely proud of our pupils and the way they represented Ysgol Hendrefelin throughout the event. Their enthusiasm, maturity, engagement, and willingness to contribute thoughtful ideas were a credit to themselves, their families, and our school community. They embraced every opportunity to learn, collaborate, and make their voices heard on issues that will shape the future of our planet.

Experiences such as YouthCOP Cymru provide valuable opportunities for young people to develop their understanding of global citizenship and sustainability, and our pupils returned inspired to continue making a positive difference within our school and wider community.