Empowering Tomorrow: Highlights from the 12th World Environmental Education Congress

Youth Conference Activations and Engaging Sessions

We welcome you all here in Abu Dhabi!

We are so excited to see each and every one at our youth pavilion at the 12th World Environmental Education Congress.

To get you geared up, here is a brief description of our daily activations:

Youth Pavilion

Youth pavilion is a vibrant, open space created by youth and implemented by youth, it is open to all. We will have the chance to explore both adult plenary session and the activations and session happening at the youth pavilion. Daily approximately 3 hours of back-to-back youth sessions and discussions are happening at the youth pavilion.  Youth can Manoeuvre at the youth conference to explore the Escape from climate change Escape room, add their input in a daily dynamic question at the Interactive Message wall, interact at the open area, explore UAE Schools and Universities achievements, participate in different activities happening at the activity area, and take part at the sessions available at the workshop areas.

Day One

As we host national and international youth coming from over 20 countries, we start by welcoming youth in 4 different languages Arabic, English, Spanish, and French and provide an overview and information about the youth conference, the welcome is delivered by all youth committee members. We then inaugurate different sessions happening simultaneously, about hopes and expectations of Environmental education, youth involvement and recap of COP28, Interactive session named Youth GBT myth-busting and sustainable knowledge, panel discussion related to climate anxiety, and Enviro-Spellathon app competition to access school student’s climate knowledge.

Day Two

Day 2 starts with a session about climate action and education where 4 themes are given to 4 groups of youth, the session is facilitated by youth from Philipines, Zambia, India. Amongst our efforts to build youths capacity we host Dr Shepherd Urenje - Programme Specialist in ESD, to deliver world's best youth led innovations and get a dose of inspiration masterclass and Phil Smith which has over forty-five years in education span the breadth of formal and non-formal education to deliver a Master class about public speaking.

We also host young successful environmentalists and public figures including Ghaya Al Ahbabi, Al Dhabi Al Mheiri, Hidaya Al Dhaheri (minor), and Murshed Al Remeithi to talk about Raising eco-conscious kid. We also host different youth programme experts from UAE, Sudan, Morocco, Uganda, US, Argentina, India, France, Ireland, Zambia, to share achievements & challenges about Environmental Education Programs Around the World. Additionally, we introduce Global Café Concept with 4 different themes Inclusion in EE, Water, Food, and Energy Nexus, Biodiversity Education, Triple Planetary Crisis. Youth also get the chance to talk about Rethinking Environmental Education within Indigenous Communities in a panel discussion.

Also, Arabella Willings, head of conservation at Emirates Nature -WWF takes you through Mermaid Diaries UAE journey as you explore inspiring fieldwork stories, intriguing facts, and how you can actively contribute to the preservation of our oceans and climate. Additionally, Nate Willbo who came all the way from Newzeland, discusses how an intergenerational approach to fighting for nature can benefit youth, adults, and older people as different perspectives and knowledge is passed on in a TedTalk style.

Day Three

We kick-off day 3 with a group of Group of Elite youth who speak about their experience on Environmental education and how it helped shape their business idea focusing on building an entrepreneurship career path using Environmental education as a base.

We also continue another hour of the 2 masterclasses, with Dr Shepherd Urenje -and Phil Smith as they wrap up the masterclass in day 3. We Introduce youth to the first e-learning platform dedicated to the environment to explore areas of international content contributions. We also explore indigenous knowledge and cultural practices, drawing on insights from experts in diverse fields, including nutrition, heritage, and marine biology with a panel discussion. Moreover, we are hosting 2 different activities about recycling practices in the UAE, and Our youth-focused session aims to create an interactive space for myth-busting and sustainable knowledge generation among participants. We also get the chance to have a Sorting Activity (Teams competition).

Inclusion in EE is another workshop to direct people with disabilities to recycling practices in the UAE as an introduction to good waste and other waste streams aiming to illustrate strategies for including people with disabilities using a team approach that involves knowledge sharing and problem-solving with the aim of optimizing persons with different abilities’ active participation and learning.

Day Four

On the last day, we deliver a short agenda, focusing on youth future EE plans and outcomes, we will have an open discussion in a Majlis format for youth with disabilities to express their needs in regards their inclusion in environmental education programmes. Taking the workshop Part 1 as a reference we will share best practices when it comes to deliver a message to people with added abilities. Also, we as youth value social media, we introduce a session regarding Content creation on Environmental Education sharing our speakers/content creators Rasha Saleh, Sara Constantino, Ahmed Al Marzoqi, Fahed Alabri knowledge to youth about content creation and how it helps to deliver meaningful messages to the community and how social media can be a tool to share environmental education.

Looking forward to see you all in
Abu Dhabi

As we recap all youth’s contributions in one document, by instigating an open youth discussion to gather youth’s input prepare for the youth feedback at the closing ceremony.

Looking forward to see you all in Abu Dhabi.

Youth Committee Members

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