The Power of One – Multi-Regional

The Power of One Child Global Action Classroom is an educational program that facilitates a conversation on climate change and sustainable development among youth and children all over the world. The activity addresses climate change mitigation through reforestation of trees, while promoting south-south collaboration and interaction.

Fast facts:

More than 300 children interacting with peers globally;
6,000 trees planted in Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Tongo, and Nepal;
Expansion to 5 schools in Nigeria, and imminent kickoff in Cameroon and Malaysia, will result in planting of 6,000 more trees.

The problem

Climate change has the most impact on underprivileged communities, but their access to education is often severely restricted. This creates a vicious cycle of vulnerability.

The solution

This activity provides Internet access and connection, individual handheld cameras, as well as environmental toolkits to schools and afterschool clubs around the world. Environmental toolkits consist of water testing kits, tree saplings, and other classroom materials. Young people and children are then able to easily take action in their communities, and to plant and care for trees at their schools.

Furthermore, young people and children are mentored in a participatory process to identify relevant issues in their communities and move forward with action plans. They are also encouraged to share their stories and comments with one another both digitally and globally, via a web platform.

Helping the planet

The activity addresses climate change adaptation by encouraging students to exchange ideas and thoughts, and to post about their positive actions online. It empowers students and teachers within schools to plant tree saplings and nurture them for several years before being transplanted in the forest. Local schools are thus transformed into platforms for reforestation – which addresses climate change, as trees fix carbon from the atmosphere.

Helping people

In addition to teaching schoolchildren about environmental issues and the effects of climate change, the program also utilizes a participatory approach to engage them in development of their communities. Increasing knowledge and personal responsibility regarding the environment can potentially reduce the community’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. The activity is also teaching girls how to use computers, thus empowering them through technology training.

The project’s activities could generate a sustainable source of funds to schools that can be used to improve learning environments, increase the availability of scholarship funds, and improve student learning outcomes. The project thus gives a perspective to many children and encourages them to stay in school, helping to break the cycle of vulnerability linked to lack of education.

Scaling up

Because of the interaction and simplicity of the online team-based blogging system, the Power of One Child Global Action Classroom has great potential for scalability. Teams with limited resources and access to technology can easily join the platform and became part of the global conversation on addressing climate change in their local communities. The Power of One Child Global Action Classroom is planned for expansion, with the inclusion of schools from Cameroon and Malaysia hoped to catalyze the planting of more trees.