The current pace of destruction of wildlife and biodiversity has no comparison in the history of humanity. Unsustainable cultivation methods combined with an ever-increasing demand for cropland have shrunk Wildlife space all over Europe. And yet, nature’s well-being relates to almost every aspect of human development, the key to reaching our sustainable development goals. Losing the last refuges of wilderness is not only an ethical concern. It is an existential threat since they help produce food, clean water, regulate climate and even control diseases.
With more than half of the population living in urban surroundings, it becomes increasingly difficult for youngsters to connect with nature. Moreover, they often lack education about the fundamental importance of wilderness, biodiversity, and nature protection. These topics are not necessarily a part of the school curriculum in Germany, Romania, or Montenegro. However, we feel that it is crucial to experience nature and the impacts of climate change in a more profound way. Nevertheless, there needs to be a tool to enhance motivation and the willingness for young people to get started on these topics.
We are fully aware of the importance of the digital world to the emerging generation, which is why we want to use its potential to create a direct link between technology and nature. We have chosen a hybrid format where we aim at motivating youngsters by using smartphones.
The project's primary goal is to enhance environmental activism and develop a deeper ecological understanding by using modern digital methods.
The preparation phase involves regular communication with international partners via email, Zoom, and other mediums. An independent media education expert evaluates the educational concept.
During the implementation phase, from September 2022 to January 2023, the Black Forest Collective creates a digital video course on environmental storytelling, comprising 40 videos of 2-3 minutes duration, and two case study short films exclusively filmed with smartphones.
The course phase involves training facilitators in Germany, Romania, and Montenegro at the beginning of 2023. Simultaneously, the European campaign for the nature film competition launches, all project partners spearheading promotion through various social media platforms and communication partners.
The festival, which takes place from 30th August to 2nd September, features screenings of youth-made films, with winning films announced on the final day. The film festival is organized by the Mioritics Association, Romania. They also organize nature-related educational workshops, emphasizing sustainable dissemination strategies.
The project partners are very diverse, Black Forest Collective being a film production company with strong expertise in media. Mioritics Association has much experience working with schools, being the only extracurricular education for sustainable development centres in Romania. CZIP has a lot of knowledge about birds and other members of biodiversity and experience in doing nature-related projects.
The project aims to encourage young people to become environmental activists. It enhances environmental activism in society. We raise awareness about the importance of nature protection, leading to less harmful behaviours and less conflict between human intervention and wildlife.
The carbon footprint of an online digital course is minimal. We use little resources by encouraging young people to use the things they already have to produce their films, such as their smartphones or iPads at school, instead of buying new technology.
Throughout the whole duration of the project, travelling by train is preferred. By using the train, we produce less carbon through less flying.
1. The project aimed to enhance environmental activism and develop a deeper ecological understanding using modern digital methods.
Young people from Europe have used the storytelling course to learn to tell stories about important environmental topics. Through that, the ecological understanding was strengthened and they developed digital skills.
2. We created an innovative, engaging digital course on protecting nature through storytelling. The video course encouraged students to tell stories about nature as a source of inspiration and education for others. We published their work on social media and the website to spread it in their communities and worldwide. The course introduced young people to an innovative way to use digital technologies.
3. The film festival aimed to inspire the creation of short films about nature protection. Under the guidance of our digital course, young participants, assisted by facilitators, not only completed the course but also brought their vision to life by crafting short films. The Mioritics Association has a lot of experience organizing film festivals. They have prepared a „call for films„ document and rules for the film competition. The competition officially started on the 15th of March 2023. It ended on the 31st of June, so the selected participants had enough time to prepare for travel to the film festival in Romania.
We created two age categories: 14 - 19 and 20 - 25. This decision aligns with CZIP‘s involvement with teachers with students in their classes aged 14. The upper age limit was extended beyond 20 to enhance the film festival‘s visibility and extend the project‘s reach to a more diverse audience.
4. From the Black Forest Collective, we trained professionals (teachers, youth workers, older students) to become facilitators and enable them to work with young people, using the digital course that teaches them about nature protection, wilderness, biodiversity and climate change.
5. Young people who joined our project are more aware of the environmental problems in their countries and their communities. They are inspired to volunteer in local projects and are keen to inspire their peers.
6. Knowledge and practical experience were shared through collaborative interactions with partner organizations in Romania and Montenegro. This exchange enhanced the effectiveness of our joint initiatives.
We published the selected films from participants on the “voices for change” website and CZIP published films from Montenegrin participants on their YouTube channel. We promoted the project results through press releases, TV appearances, social media, and screening movies in schools.
Our future plans involve maintaining and updating the ‚Voices for Change‘ website, as well as the social media platform. Additionally, we aim to explore partnerships with educational institutions and organizations, further training more facilitators and integrating the ‚Voices for Change‘ storytelling course into school curriculum. By fostering continuous collaboration, expanding our network, and exploring additional avenues for dissemination, we strive to extend the project‘s positive influence beyond its initial timeline.
The project successfully achieved its goals by creatively combining digital storytelling, technology, and nature protection while empowering young people and fostering environmental awareness. The cooperation with partner organisations was very enriching. In the future, we want to strengthen our collaboration with schools and educational organisations, especially in Germany.
We‘ve established a community of passionate young advocates interested in nature conservation and storytelling. To educate more people and inspire change worldwide, the „Voices for Change“ online storytelling course is accessible to all at www.voicesforchange.eu. This platform empowers anyone to create films addressing environmental issues, providing the tools to bring their stories to life.
Reflecting on the approach, it has proven successful, although not without challenges. In the end, the positive outcomes far outweigh the challenges, affirming the project‘s resilience, adaptability, and enduring impact. The community we‘ve built and the widespread accessibility of the storytelling course on nature protection stand as testaments to the project‘s success in fostering environmental stewardship among the youth.