Transfer of awareness on climate change issues: from a researcher to students and to students to other peer age!

Who organised the action
The action was realised by students and teacher from a Vocational Agricultural high school "Fobelli" in Crodo - Verbania, Italy. Promoters were six students coordinated by three teachers. The topic of climate change is strictly linked to the subjects of our school such as science, biology, chemistry. This is why teachers and students organised a seminar at school, by inviting the important researcher Diego Fontaneto, from the National Research Council of Verbania.

During the seminars six students were active to examine in depth the important topic of climate change by interviewing the researcher. Professor Fontaneto told us more about his studies and fascinating life experiences in Antarctica. Diego explained his commitment to the topic of climate change - he deals with the climate changes in order to see the effects on the biological sector, most of his studies concerned the glaciers. He outlined the impacts of climate change affecting future generations: there are implications on both social and economic levels. In addition, he underlined the importance of discussing with the people about the climate change, because young people, in particular, will suffer the consequences of climate.

Description of the action and results
After the seminar and thanks to the interview realised by a group of students, they decided to create a video to sum up the intervention of the researcher connected with climate change hosted in our school seminar and to use it to review it all together with other students in the lecture hall in order to act and reflect.
After the Diego's intervention and a detailed work, we organised other presentations in our school involving other students to highlight that the climate change is a worldwide level phenomenon, it is not just local, so it will be necessary to act by means of international politics in order to lower the negative effects of climate change such as the ozone hole, the spread of chlorofluorocarbons, the disappearance of glaciers, the death of animals, plants and people.

Number and type of participants or attendees
The seminar held by the researcher in our school involved a total number of 150 students and around 10 teachers as a public.
The action connected with making a video involved 6 students and 3 teachers.
The dissemination actions (lectures in the school hall and other video projections at school) involved around 70 students.

Comments from a participant about the event
Letizia Sacco, Martino Sessa, Matteo Rossetto, Alessio Fantini, Matteo Ranzani and Janis Della Maddalena (Agrarian school students): "We are really happy of this chance to become active to foster the young people awareness of on climate change issues. Moreover, from our experience in joining European youth exchanges about environmental topics, we think that it is really important to act locally but in a European and a world wide perspective. In the described frame, this project, had the relevant added value to be local but connecting multiple youth active citizenship local actions from different EU countries under the same project, based on shared values and goals. Thanks!"

You can download an article written by students involved in the project here.