Cari-Bois launches the Green Gazette
The Cari-Bois Environmental News Network is developing a new generation of citizen journalists to raise awareness of climate change issues.
Over the next eight months, the Cari-Bois Environmental News Network, with support from The Cropper Foundation, will work with ten secondary schools across Trinidad and Tobago to equip 20 students with journalism skills and climate knowledge.
With funding from the Scotiabank Foundation, the project aims for each student to write and publish three climate stories that highlight the impacts and responses to climate change in their communities.
These stories will be published under the Green Gazette and promoted on the social media platforms of Cari-Bois and The Cropper Foundation.
Cindy Mohammed, general manager of the Scotiabank Foundation, states that supporting the project aligns with the Foundation’s mission to connect young people with opportunities.
She adds, “Not only is the project helping to create awareness of career options and educational opportunities in the fields of journalism and environmental sciences for our young people, but it is also encouraging them to build skills and awareness to help fight climate change in their communities. When they learn about these topics, they will be empowered to take collaborative action, helping to ensure continuity for future generations.”
Green Gazette will focus on developing the storytelling skills of young people from rural, semi-rural, and coastal communities, which are particularly vulnerable to climate change.
The 20 participants come from a range of schools, including Blanchisseuse Secondary, Brazil Secondary, Cedros Secondary, Coryal Secondary, Guayaguayare Secondary, Moruga Secondary, Mucurapo West Secondary, Roxborough Secondary, Speyside Secondary, and Williamsville Secondary.
The project features a hybrid curriculum of online training and in-person activities, delivered to two cohorts of five schools each. The first cohort is running from September to December 2024, while the second will take place from January to April 2025.
Virtual sessions will cover the basics of journalism, an introduction to climate change, and writing tips. Presenters include UWI lecturer Dr. Lorraine Waldropt-Ferguson, journalist Ryan Bachoo, climate journalism consultant Kalain Hosein, and EMA Environmental Education Officer Reyad Mohammed.
The Scotiabank Foundation will also host a workshop on October 19 focusing on financial literacy and emotional intelligence.
Omar Mohammed, CEO of The Cropper Foundation, states, “Our mandate has always been to shape young leaders. We are intentionally investing in the next generation of leaders who understand the urgency of climate justice and its implications for Small Island Developing States like ours.”
He adds, “That’s why it’s crucial to have a partner like Scotiabank Foundation support this work.”
Green Gazette builds on the 2023 pilot project “I Want to Be an Environmental Reporter,” which was conducted in four communities across Trinidad and Tobago.
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