Weeks 6 & 7- Blog & Reflection

These weeks’ literature search involved the covering of climate change aspects that I had already previously explored, but with an intention of discovering additional information about these aspects. I read about more nuts and bolts regarding youth engagement and youth emotions on the climate crisis, from an applicable perspective. Particularly, I read a very interesting study that highlights an alternative method of climate education: YouTube videos. This brings me back to a study that I read in an earlier week about the impact that online media has on youth’s perspective on climate change, which is another example of how my research is finally coming back to me in a full circle effect. I also came across another interesting study that focused on the implementation of climate change principles into a mobile video game, called Illumina. This game focuses on instilling hope and inspiration in youth through simulations. In addition, there was another study that linked the idea of climate change impacts and filmmaking, which served as an effective, multidisciplinary approach that informed the youth. After reading about these studies, I came to the realization that climate education doesn’t have to soleby be within the confines of a classroom; it can be done through media that children access for fun everyday. In fact, primary reasons as to why the procedures in these studies were so successful was that they were youth-led, and were engaging in their own manners. In designing a parenting curriculum to address the climate change impacts on youth, these principles can be used. As my internship is coming to a close, I plan on using all of my accumulated literature and compiling a giant directory of sources regarding multiple facets of the issue of climate change in youth.