Global Action for Young Energy Leaders (GAYEL)
ERASMUS+ funded project running from 2024 - 2026
CONTEXT
Today's youth will become leaders across all sectors of society as climate change accelerates and its impacts become more severe, irreversibly changing environments and threatening lives and livelihoods. As they move into their careers, these youth will have to deal with an ‘intergenerational issue’: actions taken by people over the past 100 years -- particularly production and use of fossil-fuel based energy sources -- will impact many aspects of the future for today's youth, as well as generations not yet born. In some parts of the world, young people are already experiencing consequences of this phenomenon, both directly (e.g. extreme weather events, climate migration) and indirectly (e.g. as social, economic and environmental determinants of physical and mental health). Bombarded with messages that climate change may threaten their very existence, some youth are experiencing climate-related distress and anxiety (Clemens et al., 2020).
OBJECTIVE
Global Action for Young Energy Leaders (GAYEL) aims to build the knowledge and skills youth need to become accountable actors and agents of change across four interrelated areas: energy, climate change, digitalisation and social justice. A core aim of GAYEL is helping youth understand why achieving a just, clean energy transition – across Europe and globally – is central to tackling climate change.
To this end, GAYEL brings together a consortium of experts in energy, digital technologies, education, communications and advocacy to create an online learning platform that educates youth on these topics and builds practical skills in creating campaigns that raise awareness and advocate for social change. In the process, GAYEL participants will gain skills in using a wiki platform for collaboration and will be exposed to the emerging technologies of artificial intelligence and machine learning.
DELIVERABLE
A growing body of evidence shows that engaging in meaningful actions on climate change may benefit well-being (Clemens et al., 2020; The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, 2021). Many youth are already engaged in public action (e.g. marches and school strikes), in part due to the powerful advocacy of young leaders, such as Greta Thunberg. Movements that, through social media (SoMe) platforms, make them personally and internationally connected in unprecedented ways. However, gaps of knowledge and misinformation about these topics remain significant among the public at large, including youth.
To address these gaps, GAYEL will:
a) develop a literacy quiz to assess levels of knowledge across these topics;
b) create an online learning platform with didactic content to fill in knowledge gaps;
c) train students in using diverse media formats to achieve communication aims; and
d) feature campaigns created by students on a globally recognised online platform and at national, European and international events.
PARTNERS
ACT 4, France
Fondazione AEM, Italy
Energypedia, Germany
Associacio Catalana d'Enginyeria Sense Fronteres, Spain
FSR - Far-Sighted Regulatory Global Association, India
Istituto Omnicomprensivo Musicale Statale di Milano, Italy
138 SUZIE "Prof. Vasil Zlatarski", Bulgaria
INS Montgros, Spain
For further information about this project please write to Pia Lovengreen Alessi at: pia.alessi@eui.eu