Project Launch:

Seeing the need for environmental awareness in their small town of José Gálvez, Peru, a group of high school students responded by forming an Environmental Leaders Club (ELC). With support from World Connect’s Kids to Kids Program, the ELC learned hands-on about environmental conservation by traveling to protected natural areas during an Environmental Conservation and Leadership conference. What made this conference so unique is that at the outset, the ELC met up with another World Connect supported youth leadership group, the Youth Leaders of Chongoyape (YLC). Both groups experienced for the first time working examples of environmental conservation in both privately and publicly managed contexts. They learned from the experiences of park conservationists and heard the voices of artisans and guides whose livelihoods depend on ecotourism. The 21 children who attended the conference spent four days touring different environmental conservation sites in their country. They visited five different sites where they toured different parks, learned about reforestation and ecotourism, saw diverse groups of animals they had never seen before, and learned about sustainable water management being practiced at a water reserve. The kids participated in leadership talks, gave presentations on recycling and global warming, and even visited the ocean. The kids then brought their experiences back to their own communities by leading various activities, such as fashion shows displaying clothes made out of recycled materials, public talks on global warming and its harmful effects, environmental exhibits to display at local libraries. Some even participated in environmental debates with local mayoral candidates. The educational exchange between the YLC and the ELC was extremely valuable, giving both youth groups a chance to learn from other students’ experiences in executing community project, to brainstorm with other kids about how to be successful community leaders, and for both groups to feel empowered to make positive impacts on other youth - a World Connect exchange within Peru.