A NUMBER of students have been representing North Cornwall at a UNICEF conference in Truro.

Students from St Stephens Community Academy have been learning about the science of how theor brains work, using “Thinking Matters” strategies.

The school has been helping students reflect on how they think, reason, and communicate, in order to help give young people the confidence and clarity to express themselves meaningfully. This aligns directly with UNICEF’s vision of Article 12 in action—where every child is not only heard but truly understood and taken seriously in shaping their education and community.

As a UNICEF Gold Rights Respecting school, students were delighted and proud to be invited to present as a keynote school at this year’s UNICEF Article 12 conference in Truro, the first of its kind anywhere in the UK.

St Stephens’ steering group representatives had the honour of presenting to a large and diverse audience from all over the UK. Speaking with confidence and passion, they shared details of the school’s current project on food waste, captivating listeners and receiving numerous compliments and encouraging feedback on both their presentation and market stall that showcased their journey.

The children proudly displayed their work at the stall and even ran a food waste competition, where one lucky winner received a box of delicious eggs from the school chickens, laid just that morning!

Maura Furber, executive headteacher at the school said: “The day was both informative and enjoyable, and we are immensely proud of our amazing ambassadors — true change-makers who are making a difference today, with their eyes and hearts firmly focused on building a better future.

“We are also delighted to have been awarded a Gold Picture News Award for this project-sharing our voice on another platform. “Thinking Matters” well and truly in action!”