Community Engagement event held at Truro County Council Hall for A-level and college students.

60 young citizens spent the day in discussions on how Cornwall could make best use of its endowment of minerals and geothermal energy. The ‘Citizen Researchers’ interviewed expert witnesses from local mining companies, council members and national government before a plenary in front of their peers.

The event was a collaboration between Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise, Met4Tech and the Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter.

Students studied and considered contemporary resource issues from multiple perspectives. The setting and structure of the day aimed to help young people in feeling empowered to take part in current and future decision making. Additional preparations and subsequent lessons in school classes encouraged the young people to follow careers in resources. Teachers and expert witnesses gave positive feedback on this opportunity to involve young people in this subject area.