Climate Change Virtual School for Youths in Africa – Zimbabwe

This innovative initiative is harnessing the power of information and communication technology through a Climate Change Virtual School. This capacity-building program teaches youths across Africa how to address climate change and environmental management across the continent.

Combining the powerful tools of new media, the Internet, and webcasting, this dynamic and interactive platform makes learning about scientific concepts easy to understand and fun. Targeting African youth by using a medium they understand, the virtual school’s goal is to mainstream climate change concerns in development planning and implementation and, as a result, contribute to improving the management of natural resources and preparing African communities for climate change’s effects.

Fast facts:

More than 2,000 participants in 30 countries;
Six yearly intakes for the short-term course;
Two yearly intakes for the advanced program;
Recipient of six international awards for innovation and creativity;

The problem

Most training programs for managing climate change are complex and require participants to have a deeper understanding of scientific fields such as meteorology. While civil society, governmental, and business actors are increasingly interested in implementing climate change concerns into development planning and implementation, students and young people in general have little background in how to implement low-carbon development.

The solution

The Climate Change Virtual School was developed by African youths, for African youths. Through knowledge management, advocacy training, video conferencing, and documentaries, this novel educational approach is providing youths with the background and skills they need to enact low-carbon development.

The virtual school explores the relationships among climate change and health, water, population, energy, disaster risk reduction, agriculture, and food security. The curriculum is developed by tapping into the rich experiences and capacities of young people, through both online and face-to-face platforms. Course participants are charged a nominal fee to cover certificates, course materials, and administration expenses.

Some of the thriving innovations that have already emerged from the program are a reusable bag manufacturing venture and an urban tree-planting project in Zimbabwe and a solar rental project in Kenya

Helping the planet

By promoting sustainable and low-carbon development, resources are conserved and greenhouse gas emissions reduced. Training a future generation of potential leaders on how to better respond to climate change and conserve resources could help reverse widespread environmental mismanagement in Africa.

Helping people

By linking local youths, vulnerable groups, and poor rural communities with experts, the virtual school builds society’s capacity to adapt to the effects of climate change. As communities feed into the curriculum, their specific needs and interests are addressed. Implementing sustainable development also improves the quality of life for those vulnerable to climate change effects.

Scaling up

The project has already received support to expand to Latin America and North America, with plans to launch versions in other languages. Additionally, participants who finish the course have the opportunity to contribute to the development of further learning tools, helping the project spread further.

The project has the potential to provide input for national policy frameworks. Currently, partnerships with the higher learning institutions are being explored to issue accredited certificates to students upon completion. A continued dedication to solid partnerships can further enhance the program’s competitiveness and reach.