GLOMEF, partners empower students to champion climate action

Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF) Ghana, in partnership with Citizens Watch Ghana and the Indigenous Women Empowerment Network (IWEN), has intensified efforts to promote environmental awareness and youth leadership through a climate change training programme at Fiapre Methodist Junior High School in the Sunyani West Municipality.

Organised under the Green Minds, Clean Schools initiative with support from ActionAid Ghana, the training brought together 50 members of the school's Climate Change Club and teachers to strengthen their knowledge and practical skills in climate change mitigation, adaptation, environmental protection and responsible waste management.

The initiative aims to equip more than one million young people with the knowledge, skills and practical tools to understand climate change, protect the environment and promote sustainable practices in their schools and communities.

Training areas
The training covered four key areas: an introduction to climate change; its causes, effects and local impacts; mitigation, adaptation and environmental protection; and waste management, plastic pollution and sanitation.

Through interactive discussions, group activities and practical sessions, participants explored how human activities contribute to climate change and identified practical solutions they could implement in their school and communities.

The sessions also highlighted the distinction between climate change mitigation, which involves reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and adaptation, which focuses on preparing for and responding to climate impacts.

Particular attention was given to climate-related challenges in Ghana, including rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, flooding, environmental degradation, threats to agricultural production and the effects of improper waste disposal.

Students encouraged to become environmental ambassadors

Facilitating the training, climate change trainer Raphael Godlove Ahenu urged students to translate their knowledge into practical environmental action.

He encouraged members of the Climate Change Club to adopt environmentally responsible practices, including reducing single-use plastics, separating waste, conserving water, protecting trees, keeping school compounds clean and preventing rubbish from blocking drains.

He also introduced participants to a school environmental audit exercise to help them identify environmental challenges, document their findings and propose practical solutions in collaboration with teachers and school authorities.

The exercise is expected to promote student ownership of the school environment and build their confidence to lead local environmental initiatives.

Participants were also introduced to developing school-based environmental action plans featuring measurable activities to be implemented and monitored over 30 days.

Proposed activities include waste audits, improved waste segregation, tree and garden care, sanitation campaigns and regular environmental awareness programmes.

These activities are expected to strengthen the Climate Change Club as a platform for student leadership, environmental education and collective action.

Citizens Watch Ghana calls for collective climate action

In his opening remarks, Simon Asore, Executive Director of Citizens Watch Ghana, underscored the important role young people can play in building climate-resilient communities.

He said equipping students with relevant knowledge and encouraging them to become environmental ambassadors would foster a culture of environmental responsibility extending beyond the classroom into homes and communities.

Mr Asore also emphasised the need for collaboration among students, teachers, parents, school authorities, local government institutions and environmental stakeholders to sustain school-based climate initiatives.

He noted that Green Minds, Clean Schools provides an opportunity to link climate education with practical community action, enabling young people to understand environmental challenges and actively participate in finding solutions.

School leadership supports student-led environmental action

The Headmistress of Fiapre Methodist Junior High School, Janet Ameyaa, encouraged members of the Climate Change Club to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the training.

She urged them to take responsibility for maintaining a clean school environment and share what they had learnt with their colleagues, families and the wider community.

The club's patron, Miss Jennifer Appiah Fosuaa, a teacher who championed its formation, highlighted the importance of providing students with a platform to develop their environmental knowledge and leadership skills.

She said the club could serve as an important vehicle for promoting environmental awareness, encouraging responsible behaviour and sustaining practical climate action within the school community.

The participation of girls in the training also reflected the initiative's gender-sensitive approach to climate education and youth engagement.

Building a generation of climate-conscious leaders

The Green Minds, Clean Schools initiative reflects the growing importance of youth participation in addressing climate change and promoting sustainable development.

By combining climate education with practical, school-based activities, the initiative seeks to empower students to become agents of change in their communities.

It has a long-term ambition of reaching more than one million young people and supporting the creation of approximately 5,000 green spaces across West Africa by 2030.

The initiative also seeks to strengthen climate change education, public awareness and human and institutional capacity for mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.

Through collaboration with schools, civil society organisations and development partners, it aims to promote environmentally responsible behaviour, strengthen community resilience and encourage young people to contribute to a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future.