Since there are no currently active contests, we have switched Climate CoLab to read-only mode.
Learn more at https://climatecolab.org/page/readonly.
Skip navigation
Share via:

Pitch

Multidisciplinary scholarship program for millennials generate proposals for solving impacts of Climate Change in their country.


Description

Summary

Our proposal is a multidisciplinary program for millennial generation (born after 1980) where youth can develop ideas for solving problems, reduce impacts, manage risks, and create adaptations plans for Global Climate Change in their country. During the program the objective is that participants are a bridge between professionals of diverse backgrounds allowing the creation of multidisciplinary solutions. The goal is that everyone who participates in a program will guide his or her professional career and life in a sustainable way.  It is crucial that the solutions generated through this program get implemented and monitored in each participating country. Additionally, participants will develop leadership, critical thinking, long-term vision, and communication abilities among others.

In a two-month full-time program the participants will have specific training that will include conferences, mentoring, and fieldwork with a multidisciplinary approach. The first month will be oriented only on training, the second month the participants will develop the full proposal with the help from mentors tackling specific problems due to climate change: reducing CO2 emissions, maintaining biological diversity, water and food availability, etc.

During the program that participants will communicate their experiences in social media. Focusing on communicating that already belongs to a community dedicated to solving climate change impacts and spread the knowledge that they acquire during the program. The experience that the participants will have its oriented on creating the next generation of leaders that will be addressing solutions for impacts of Climate Change and the national or international decision takers for the next years.


What actions do you propose?

  • This program will initially be implemented in Mexico City and Atlanta, so the next generation can start taking actions, creating awareness and preparing them for the next impacts that will be appearing in the next years, also helping preventing much of them.
  • Every program will have a specific topic to focus on always related to Climate Change. For example, the topic for one year will be a Coral Reef program. The problem to solve will be the economic and environmental impact that Climate Change has on Coral Reefs, so the training will be oriented to this goal.
  • Topics in other editions of the program can be sea ice, ice sheets and glaciers, sea level rise, Floods, Heat Waves, and Droughts.
  • The program will last 2 months so students can take it during summer vacations, and will focus full time in the training.
  • The first month will be training that will include conferences, mentoring, and fieldwork with a multidisciplinary approach. Where the fellows will learn in depth about the topic of interest from different points of view to be able. This part of the program will allow them to create a proposal that aims to solve their specific researched topic. 
  • The training will be focus in the next aspects:

·  Science

·  Economy

·  Government (Marine reserves and others)

·  Psychology

·  Tourism

·  Local communities

·  Social justice (NGOs)

·  Anthropologists

·  Policies

  • An example of fieldwork will be visiting the coral reefs of the country, visit the labs where scientists are doing research about them and conservation efforts that have been already implemented.
  • The goal of the training is that all the fellows have enough knowledge and whole view so they can be fully prepared to make a project that will be implemented on a large scale.
  • The next month the fellows will develop altogether a solution, either adaptation or mitigation, this will be in a co-working space, so they can have a better communication and iteration. During this process there will be mentors that will support the creation process.
  • The mentors need to have expertise on those topics or that they belong to the sector, the can be from universities, scientists, professors, economists, politicians. They can be nationals or internationals, they just need to be oriented to the country position and the vision that it wants to reach. For example, governmental people that are in charge or live in a coastal area.
  • A coordinator per program is needed, he or she need to be goal-oriented and have experience and expertise on the topic that where elected for the program.
  • The requirements for applying to the program are:
  • Be newly graduated or about to graduate.
  • Prove of discipline and commitment, (May belong to extracurricular activities or volunteering).
  • Have defined some personal abilities (soft and hard skills).
  • A letter where the applicant explains why he/she is interested in the program.
  • Two letters of recommendation demonstrating being active in environmental issues or related topics
  • The fellows will receive a stipend that consists in higher amount of an average fellow salary. The amount depends on the country. Also the program covers all the travel expenses, working material and facilities.
  • It is expected that the participation of each student has a very strong curricular value, this depends on how much support is taken by the authorities and experts
  •  Before, during and after the program a Community Manager will be contracted so the program can have a great reach and inspire the general public.
  •  Also the fellows will be trained for developing communications skills so they can spread their knowledge and the experience that they have during the program.


Who will take these actions?

Just graduated or almost graduated millennials can apply, the universities need to promote and encourage their alumni to apply.

Millennials are the people that was born between 1980 and 2000, are the biggest generation in history, they are familiar with technological change, globalization and economic disruption. Business and individual donations will be accepted, however the country government need to support 100% this program, both monetarily and support to carry out the solution.

There can be also sponsors for flights, hotels, food, coffee, internet, laptops, etc.


Where will these actions be taken?

Applicants from all over the country where the program is implemented will be encouraged to participate. However, the first two years take place in Mexico and United States since we already have a working network of scientists, non-profits, and contacts with universities.


How will these actions have a high impact in addressing climate change?

 

The millennial generation have the responsibility and the ability to create solutions to reduce the impacts of Climate Change.

According to an article (Philanthropy and Millennials: Get On Board Or Get Left Behind) 61% of the millennials are worried about the state of the world and they feel personally responsible for making a difference.This generation have the following characteristics:

  • Ambitous
  • Educated
  • Carrer equals purpose
  • Innovation and out-of-the-box thinking
  • Collaboration
  • Having impact

Millennials are part of the population that has the passion and energy needed to solve all the environmental problems, due to the fact that they are just in time to do it.

They are the ones that need to be prepared because they are the ones who have seen and known how the planet has been changing due to human impact.
 

They will have all the training needed for becoming the next generations of leaders, all the decisions that they take will be based on knowing the impacts of Climate Change.


What are other key benefits?

 

Climate change requires now new ways of living. This is why every country needs to train next generations exclusively for the impacts and costs that will be more noticeable.

Due to leadership training and oriented to generate a sustainable livelihood that participants will have many of the risks that the scientific community has predicted can be reduced.

Many of content can be generated by the participants, the will also have a specific training just for developing communication skills.

Data can be derived from the results of program participants, for example, the different profiles that apply and participate, skills from the participants, which universities have the biggest number of applicants and participants, the volunteer who have previously held that actions performed after participating in the program, etc.And with this results data can be used to improved in next editions of the program and create new education and awareness initiatives over time.

 


What are the proposal’s costs?

Total for five years: $390,000

 

Yearly budget

  • $ 45,000 for 15 fellowships and travel expenses ($3,000 per student for two months)
  • $ 15,000 for research material ($1,000 per student for two months)
  • $ 10,000 airfares for students to go to a specific place that will help them with their research
  • $ 5,000 salary for Program Coordinator
  • $ 3,000 salary for Community Manager


Time line

 

  • 5-15 years: Youth leaders will have a training oriented to spread a new vision of climate change. Because of the self-discipline that they will develop in the program, they will seek to continue with trainings similar to this one and with similar multidisciplinary ways to work. These youth leaders will orient their life and career to the protection of planet earth.

 

  • 15-50 years:  One program like this will exist in most countries. Youth leaders will be now the leaders in Climate Change issues and will be the ones that take national decisions.

 

  • 50-100 years: The new generations will be educated always considering all the impacts that their actions can have on the planet and future generations.

 


Related proposals

 

 


References

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/trevor-neilson/philanthrop-and-millennia_b_3269238.html

http://nation.time.com/2013/05/09/millennials-the-next-greatest-generation

http://brandchannel.com/2012/10/24/gen-ys-top-issues-economy-environment-and-education-report/

http://www.triplepundit.com/2015/02/millennials-social-entrepreneurship-revolution

http://www.goldmansachs.com/our-thinking/outlook/millennials/

http://whatweknow.aaas.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/whatweknow_website.pdf

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10869-010-9159-4