Reshaping Our World: Collaborating with Children for Community-based Climate Change Action
In a sense, children have the most to lose from an unsustainable planet. Yet, because of the passive role that society usually assigns to them, children often have the least control over their environmental future. Carlie Trott addressed this lack of environmental empowerment among the young through ART research with her PAR collaboration with 10-12 year-old children. She used an innovative arts-based, participatory method — photovoice– in an after-school program to help the children make personal and local connections with environmental issues. This helped the children in planning and implementing informed individual and collaborative projects such as a tree-planting campaign and a community garden club. Carlie’s research shows the critical importance of participatory process and collaborative action in strengthening children’s sense of agency. Her findings support the emerging view of children “not as ‘human becomings’ (i.e., future citizens), but as ‘human beings’ (i.e., citizens of today) who can be critical actors in their communities.”
We invite you to learn more about by reading this article in the Special Issue of Action Research on Climate Transformations HERE.
After you’ve had a chance to read this piece, please share your thoughts, ideas, or experiences with our community in the comments below so we can continue this discussion!
Columbia Embury
www.wright.edu
www.wright.edu
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