The problem
Climate change brings serious challenges like water shortages, wildfires, and health problems, but young people often don’t have the tools or platforms to share their ideas or make a difference.
Goals
Place4Hope helps fill this gap by combining science, art, leadership and storytelling to inspire action and build global connections. The program aims to:
- Give young people creative tools to express themselves, share stories, and advocate for change.
- Show how climate change impacts health and marginalised communities.
- Encourage teamwork across cultures to tackle global climate issues.
- Use art to raise awareness and share solutions that others can use too.
Approach
Place4Hope brought together 28 young leaders from around the world for a Summer School program. Participants used creative methods to explore climate change and its impact on health.
- Workshops and Discussions: Safe spaces let participants share their ideas and learn from each other’s experiences with climate justice.
- Storytelling: Young leaders used art forms like films and zines to share their personal and local stories about climate issues.
- Collaboration: Group sessions focused on brainstorming solutions, while partnerships with organizations helped participants build connections and learn more.
- Cross-Cultural Sharing: Participants exchanged ideas about climate challenges in their home countries, helping everyone see the bigger picture and work together on solutions.
Features
The program used art and media to give young people a voice. Participants created a film that combined their stories and ideas. It became a powerful way to inspire action and share their perspectives with a wider audience. Also, workshops provided a judgment-free environment where young leaders could confidently share their thoughts and develop their advocacy skills. At the end, they produced a zine and other creative materials with practical solutions and ideas for more conversations about climate and health.
Lessons learned
Workshops provided a safe space for participants, building their confidence to speak up and develop their advocacy skills. Sharing global perspectives also helped participants understand common climate challenges and find collective solutions.
Handling schedules and logistics taught organizers the importance of planning to ensure maximum participation.
Find out more: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGPiHO_OMg/oXRD589Zac6_ukWgaHMiwg/edit
What you can do
Feeling creative? Make a zine about climate change and the topics you care about.