Hundreds of learners from schools in the City Bowl will benefit from the launch of the first phase of the Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) programme.
The programme, which is a partnership between the City of Cape Town and the Wildlife and Environmental Society (Wessa), aims to develop youth to become reporters for the environment.
Wessa is a 95-year-old youthful and vibrant organisation that prides itself in its rich history in South African conservation and environmental education.
It’s also the national operator for the Foundation for Environment Education (FEE’s) international Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) Programme.
Wessa says this programme aims to empower young South Africans to pursue a collective vision of human rights, inclusivity, environmental and social justice by harnessing social media and its global network to tell their own solution-driven, knowledge rich and contextual stories.
The first phase of the programme focuses on eight high schools in the City Centre. These include Cape Town High School, Gardens Commercial High School, Good Hope Seminary High School, Harold Cressy High School, Sea Point High School, Trafalgar High School and Vista High School.
Rondine Richards, Deputy Principal at Sea Point High school, says while they haven’t officially signed learners up for the programme yet they support the concept of caring for the environment.
“I think it is important that we take care of this environment. We are hoping that it will still be healthy for generations but if we don’t start now the future is looking bleak for future generations. So, we need to be involved.”
Richards says the programme will teach learners how to report on environmental infringements.
“My understanding is that learners will have to investigate what they believe is an environmental injustice and report on it. We have been told that learners will be trained to take good photographs and to write good articles and come up with solutions and make people aware of these injustices.”
Ian McMahon, Ward 115 councillor, says this focus on making a positive difference uniquely positions high school learners to hone research and leadership skills and explore career options.
“YRE encourages self-directed learning, essential for success after high school. This will be done by capacitating participants with contemporary environmental and media conceptual and practical knowledge and fostering advocacy and hope with project-based experiential learning and expert mentorship.”
Eddie Andrews, Deputy Mayor and Mayco member for Spatial Planning and Environment, says one of their key objectives is to partner with organisations like Wessa to encourage optimising the use of natural assets.
“There is overwhelming evidence of the positive impacts of nature on the well-being of the body, mind and soul. Thus, I call on the young people to take full advantage of this opportunity as it will help them connect with mother nature. They can take pictures of their gardens at home, on their way to school, or anytime they find themselves outdoors.”
Andrews says they are encouraging the youth to be intentional about their reporting.
“They may choose to focus on something that interests them, spend time in nature looking for clues that speak to their intention and ultimately report on their find. We are hoping that this initiative will spark an interest in nature and the environment and, possibly, a career in this field.”
Andrews says the programme will run for a year.
“Once the first phase is completed, we will celebrate it with a showcase event of select environmental media projects by these Young Reporters for the Environment.”
