Learning to Engage Young People to Take Action for Biodiversity

15 international Fellows came to Hamburg for 10 weeks in the end of January 2012 to exchange and further develop ideas to inspire and foster the engagement of youths world wide to take action for biodiversity.

Challenge Phase (28.01.2012 - 30.03.2012)

During the Challenge Phase at the D&F Academy Hamburg Fellows learned how to engage and empower young people to take action for biodiversity.

On the first weekend of the Engage in Conservation Project the Fellows spent an intense time with project Friend Dr. Jane Goodall, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace. During the following weeks other eminent experts, activists and professionals - many of them from different Jane Goodall Institutes - shared their knowledge and worked with the Fellows to explore ways in which they can encourage and motivate young people worldwide to take action for biodiversity.

Every D&F project has a hands-on challenge, which the Fellows have to solve together during their time at the D&F Academy. In the Engage in Conservation Project the Fellows developed, implemented and documented a youth-oriented biodiversity event that can be replicated by youth groups worldwide. The content taught by various experts during the project helped the Fellows to design and implement the event, which included an interactive exhibition and workshop and a theater play, all focusing on the topic biodiversity or “The Web of Life”.

Additionally, Fellows took part in the DreamLab, a series of workshops and trainings covering values, such as courage and leadership, and skills including budgeting and presentation skills. All sessions were taught by inspiring speakers from a variety of fields and enabled the Fellows to create their DreamPlans.

Implementation Phase (01.04.2012 - 27.01.2013)

During the ongoing Implementation Phase Fellows are now implementing their DreamPlans in their respective home countries. During this time they continuously benefit from an online curriculum, which combines implementation-relevant skills, for example on fundraising or legal issues, with a discussion and reflection on important values. The online curriculum is delivered via the D&F Cloud, which also allows Fellows to stay in touch and interact with each other in discussion forums and chats.

For more information on the Jane Goodall Institute and her Roots & Shoots program visit:

www.janegoodall.org
www.rootsandshoots.org

Image Jane Goodall: Copyright Nick Step