Special YRE interview with the CEO of Too Good to Go

Every year, 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted across the world. 1.3 billion tons! That’s an environmental issue of serious proportions!

The tech startup Too Good To Go have made it their mission to fight the global issue of food waste and they are already making a huge difference in 13 countries around Europe. They have managed to create a successful marketplace where 40,000 restaurants, grocery stores and supermarkets, bakeries, cafes and hotels are able to sell their surplus, benefiting people and the environment. 

YRE alumna from France, Lauren Ricard, got the unique opportunity to (virtually) meet and interview Mette Lykke who is the CEO of Too Good To Go. Read the inspiring story by clicking on the image below.

It is great to see that our Young Reporters for the Environment find creative ways to keep interviewing experts and creating stories despite restrictions due to COVID-19!

Time to vote for your favourite shortlisted YRE Competition entries 2020!

A total of 182 entries from 31 countries around the world were submitted to the International YRE Competition this year! These are all national winners from their respective countries.

All 182 entries have been assessed by a dedicated team from the Head Office of Foundation for Environmental Education and the entries with the highest scores have been shortlisted for the International Jury to review. Below you will find the shortlisted articles, photos, and videos. Huge thanks for the impressive work of all YRE students!

Tell us which ones are your favourites and make them stand out to the jury by clicking the “Enjoy”-button in the upper right corner! And don’t forget to share them with your friends!  

Below are the entries that are shortlisted for the International Jury to assess. This year, the jury meeting will take place online on the 15th-17th of September. The final International Winners will be announced shortly after. Good luck to all!

YRE International

Article 11-14 years

Canada COVID-19 Is Helping Birds Regain Their Population

Malta A big hole in the ground

Montenegro Is the Teardrop of Europe weeping?

Morocco Reducing livestock mortality caused by household plastic waste

Singapore Be The Right Change You Want to See in the World

Slovakia Toxic Finger Food  

Article 15-18 years

Bahrain, International School Fuel your body, not pollution: the rise and the problems of online food delivery

Czech Republic A new hope for the environment

France Having a Cloud is convenient, but is it ecological?

Montenegro EE waste - problem of Nikšić

Portugal The Birth of a Local Protected Landscape

Puerto Rico Biomimicry: The Salvation of the Dunes

Scotland The Environmental Impact of Fossil Fuel Motorsport and the benefits of going all electric

Slovakia Residents Demand Better Used Clothes Recycling

South Africa Pollution: A Matter of Life and Death

Sweden Fireworks – beautiful environmental villains

Article 19-25 years

Czech Republic A paradise for endangered species of wetland birds created thanks to a neglected irrigation system

India Sikkim, A ray of Light in India’s Losing Fight with Agriculture

Portugal A New Virus, New Waste: the Change in Health, Society and Waste Production

Puerto Rico Once a Month

Singapore Living Zero Waste As Told By A Singaporean Eco-Warrior

Slovakia Slovak Cities Benefit from Using Rainwater

Single Photo reportage 11-25 years

Bosnia and Herzegovina The “Red Lake'' near Dobro Selo in B&H

India EAT LOCAL!

Israel Footprint

Montenegro “Decorated” river Zeta - our nature park

Singapore Deadly Demand

Slovakia Treasure Hunting  

Single Photo Campaign 11-25 years

Canada The future of our world

Iceland Congratulations, humanity!

Montenegro Nature, rest in peace

Portugal It's Time To Solve This Puzzle

Photo reportage of 3-5 photos 11-25 years

Ghana Making face masks for people of Murugu in Tamale, Ghana

Portugal Mining: a scar on the planet

Slovakia Kilometers Eaten

Turkey Five Alternative Solution Models to The Eco-Apocalypse from The New Rurals

Video reportage 11-14 years

France Green Algae in Brittany

Czech Republic How to survive and not dry out

Scotland Small Scabious Mining Bee

Slovakia Polystyrene Snow

South Africa Hands-on river revival: A community Fixing Their Environment!

Video campaign 11-14 years

Israel Waiter, I did not order plastic!

Portugal The most dangerous pandemic is still human ignorance

Video reportage 15-18 years

France The frame of old wood

Montenegro When we throw out the trash, where does it go?

Portugal Biodiversity as a Source of Crime and Business: Illegal Species Trafficking

Puerto Rico Ocean Acidification

Video campaign 15-18 years

Bosnia and Herzegovina Air pollution in Sarajevo

Canada Solutions for Climate Action

Iceland Is there a solution to internet pollution?

Israel Driving green

Republic of Korea Selfish and Hotdog

Singapore How Old Will You Be In 2050?

Video reportage 19-25 years

Argentina Cigarette butts

Malta Soil as an essential natural resource

Portugal Climate Urgency - Manifestation

Video campaign 19-25 years

Malaysia What if human extinct?

International collaboration

Portugal and Montenegro Trash - A burried nightmare

Portugal and Bosnia & Herzegovina Air Pollution in Sarajevo and Braga

Portugal and Bosnia & Herzegovina Managing Waste and the Future

Malaysia and Singapore Food Waste and Climate Change

Portugal and Spain Think European, Act Locally

Wales and Spain Plastic Waste - An Intercontinental Problem

Litter Less Campaign

Article 11-14 years

New Zealand To waste our life

Northern Ireland The Natural Respirator

Spain The Pollution of the Valdemembra River

Wales Oh we do like to be beside the seaside

Article 15-18 years

Malta Use of water fountains to reduce plastic waste

New Zealand Acting for the Environment

Northern Ireland The problem with electronic waste

Spain Prestige nightmare still haunts Spanish government

Article 19-25 years

India A journey from littering less to litter-less

SINGLE PHOTO REPORTAGE 11-25 YEARS

India Recycling makes good business sense

Malta The scream

New Zealand Sustainable surfer seeks waste at summer

Northern Ireland Smart shopping choices, why the plastic netting?

Single Photo Campaign 11-25 years

Malta Shift to glass

Northern Ireland Are you a prisoner toplastic?

Photo reportage of 3-5 photos 11-25 years

Malta Bench with a view

Spain When leisure and work do not respect the forest

Video reportage/Campaign 11-14 years

France From the Seine River to the Pacific Ocean

Malta Reusable present wrappings – a gift to the environment

New Zealand Not just a dream

Video reportage/Campaign 15-18 years

Malta Plastic pollution awareness

Video Reportage/campaign 19-25 years

France Recycled wood furniture

India Another way out upcycling

YRE Volunteers Help Clean Up Mauritius Oil Spill

When bulk carrier Wakashio broke up on the pristine coral reefs of Mauritius, it led to a major oil spill and national emergency in the country. The oil spill happened near two environmentally protected marine ecosystems and the Blue Bay Marine Park reserve, a wetland of international importance (see drone footage of the spill here).

Reef Conservation Mauritius has launched the “SOS Mangrove Programme” and has started to monitor the impact of the oil spill on mangroves. They are collaborating with local and international experts in order to implement appropriate actions for mangrove restoration and need funds to purchase equipment. 

See this post for more information on how you can help.

Reef Conservation research team during their 4th survey.

The YRE Club at Loreto College Curepipe got involved to help the local fishermen around the affected areas as well as collect bottles to make anti-pollution booms that can be used to clean up the lagoons.  It is amazing to see this immediate mobilization and commitment of Mauritian YRE students to help clean up after this ecological disaster!

They write:

“Well, though there was a bright sun and kind of rushed working there, it was admirable and somewhat emotional to see how many people were helping making those booms to clean up our lagoons. It was also a great experience for me personally to work with everyone there as a team and to see the mobilization of Mauritians in these times of crisis”.

According to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the Mauritian marine environment is home to 1,700 species including around 800 types of fish, 17 kinds of marine mammals and two species of turtles. Although the full impact of the spill is still unclear, clownfish living in the coral reefs, the endangered pink pigeon, and the mangrove systems are all examples of the wildlife at risk as a consequence of this disaster. 

The winning article from the national YRE competition in Mauritius this year described the importance of protecting mangrove systems. They write that: 

“mangroves are one of the main defenses in the delicate balance of the ecosystem. They play a crucial role in our ecosystem. They act as filter trapping sediments. Not only do mangroves act as a form of natural coastal defense against storms and rising waters but also their soils are highly effective carbon sinks, sequestering vast amounts of carbon”.

Read the rest of the article here.

PRESS RELEASE - Winners of the #YREstayshome Competition

We are excited to be announcing the winners of our #YREstayshome competition in the five categories of Single Photo, Written Story, Video, Most Active Participant and Special Category! There were excellent submissions from 10 countries, with Malta, Portugal and Slovakia entering submissions for all five categories. It was a pleasure getting to see how active, engaged, and creative our Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) remained even during the COVID-19 lockdown and we hope our YRE continue being critical and curious voices for the environment as the world begins to shift out of lockdown. Many thanks as well to the teachers and our YRE National Operators who have worked and continue to work hard to support YRE!

The #YREstayhome Competition Winners:

Single Photo

1st Place
Title: A Shift to Glass
Country: Malta

2nd Place
Title: A silent pandemic occurs at sea… Fight it!
Country: Portugal

3rd Place
Title: Frontliner
Country: Malaysia

Special Mention
Title: The Fading View
Country: Mauritius

Written Story

1st Place
Title: The Natural Respirator
Country: Northern Ireland

Tied for 2nd Place
Title: Bon Appetite Planet Earth & COVID-19: An opportunity for the environment?
Country: Slovakia & Portugal

Special Mention
Title: 2020: Through the Eyes of Normie
Country: Malaysia

Video

1st Place
Title: State of Emergency is over… stay at home!
Country: Portugal

2nd Place
Title: Helping Butterfly Meadow
Country: Slovakia

3rd Place
Title: Home Waste Recycling Campaign
Country: Malaysia

Most Active Participant

1st Place
Name: Luís Martins and Diogo Martins
Country: Portugal

2nd Place
Name: Bye Bye Plastic Bags Malta (Group of Students) at Verdala International School
Country: Malta

3rd Place
Name: Daša Pacek at Primary School “Leskovec pri Krškem”
Country: Slovenia

Special Mention
Name: Sanish Ramlal at Emmanuel Anquetil SSS
Country: Mauritius

Special Category

1st Place
Category: Blog (Bird’s Eye View)
Name & Country: Matthew Cassar, Malta

2nd Place
Category: Newspaper (Vortex No.1)
Name & Country: Emily Duffy, Scotland

3rd Place
Category: Podcast (Café Relax)
Name & Country: Mária Jánošíková, Michal Mazánik, Tamara Eliašová, Slovakia

A list of all the #YREstayshome Nominees can be found here.

Nominees for the competition were selected by National Operators in each country. The winners are based on points given by the National Operators and YRE team in the Head office. The stories we the highest number of points were selected as winners of this competition. All winners will receive a diploma. The first-place winners will receive also a small financial prize through their National Operators in each country.

Congratulations to all winners and thank you for your participation!

About YRE – ‘Giving our environment a voice.’

The Young Reporters for the Environment programme aims to empower young people aged 11-25 to take a stand on environmental issues they feel strongly about and to give them a platform to articulate these issues through the media of writing, photography or video. The programme is based on a four-step methodology which seeks to develop students’ critical thinking and expression, creativity and leadership skills. Every year the top YRE investigations have the chance to participate in the annual YRE competition and to be assessed by professional juries on national and international levels. The programme also gives Young Reporters the opportunity to participate in international environmental conferences to further develop their skills and network.

Website: www.yre.global

About the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE)

With members in 77 countries we are the world’s largest environmental education organisation. Through our five ground-breaking programmes, we help communities realise the benefits of sustainable living. Recognised by UNESCO as a world leader within the fields of Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). 

Website: www.fee.global

An Amazing Opportunity: The 2020 Collision from Home Conference

Floriane Marié, YRE International covering Collision from Home

Last week four of our Young Reporters attended the hugely successful virtual Collision from Home conference! With hundreds of talks and speakers presenting at Collision, our Young Reporters had access to an immense amount of information, opportunities to connect with professionals in various fields, attend Q&A sessions and even interview individuals doing amazing work in the fields of education and climate change.

A 3-day conference based in Toronto, Collision from Home was a one-of-a-kind opportunity  for our Young Reporters to coordinate and work together across three time zones – British Columbia, Scotland, Malta and Denmark – in order to cover their first virtual conference as Young Reporters. It was incredible learning experience both in terms of the information of the talks, as well as the logistics of an online conference. Below, some of our Young Reporters’ favorite parts of the conference…

“My favourite thing about Collision was the goldmine of information available at the click of a mouse. This high-level conference not only presented talks about technology, the future, current issues and those to come, but was also an amazing network of like-minded people, all ready to interact, all ready to 'Mingle'! The only pity was that it was over the span of just three days- it deserved a lot more.” Martina Mifsud, YRE Malta

“My favourite moment was a talk by Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC. She is a brilliant woman who speaks so eloquently on climate change. It was particularly inspiring to hear her talk about the potential for a better world coming out of COVID-19, and what we need to do to ensure we continue working towards climate justice.” Allison Gacad, YRE Canada

“Having such an important event with top speakers was a good opportunity to actually hear from those big companies like H&M or Google about their projects, and ask them direct questions because it is also those companies that we need to make a change. Floriane Marié, YRE International

Personally, the best part of Collision from Home was the amazing opportunity to speak with Topher White from Rainforest Connection. Rainforest Connection is a super cool organization that is working to save our planet’s rainforests using old cellphones and it was awesome being able to interview Topher White about how he’s used technology to combat deforestation and climate change.” Reeza Hanselmann, YRE International

Overall, the conference was fantastic experience for the YRE team, so thank you to our Young Reporters for their active participation and high involvement in all the sessions and to the Collision from Home team that helped organize and facilitate this amazing opportunity!

Martina Mifsud, YRE Malta posing a question in the Q&A Session with Anna Gedda, H&M’s Head of Sustainability.

YRE Student Reporters Attending the Collision from Home Conference 2020

Four of our Young Reporters are excited to be attending the Collision from Home virtual three-day conference starting tomorrow, June 23! Originally a tech conference, Collision from Home in fact features over 450 amazing speakers from a variety of backgrounds talking about a range of relevant topics – including climate change and education.

Martina Mifsud (Malta), Allison Gacad (Canada), Floriane Marié (France) and Reeza Hanselmann (Germany/US) will have to opportunity to attend talks by some of the biggest names in the field of climate change and environmental education, such as Christiana Figueres, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change from 2010 to 2016 and whose work resulted in the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015.

With talks about combatting climate change post-COVID to saving lives with seaweed, Collision from Home is sure to be an enriching and educational experience for our YRE student reporters. Keep an eye on the YRE Exposure site in the next few weeks to read our Young Reporters’ articles about the event!

Clockwise from top right: Allison Gacad, Floriane Marié, Martina Mifsud, Reeza Hanselmann

Young Reporters at the COP 23

This year's UN Climate Change Conference (COP23) is taking place from 6 - 17 November in Bonn, Germany. 

Four Young Reporters were selected to represent the YRE programme at the COP23. They will be working as reporters to cover and report about events and sessions in Bonn Zone at the COP23 venue where side events and high level events are taking place. They will also share their experience through the YRE programme at a mini event on Climate Education at the UNESCO Pavilion on Thursday 16 November at 10:00.  

FEE has signed a partnership agreement with UN Climate Change on this initiative to support the work of Young Reporters at the COP23.

Their work will be presented on the YRE Exposure page from 14 November. The snapshots from the conference will be shared from Monday 13 November on YRE social media platforms: Facebook page, Twitter, Youtube channel and Instagram (@yre_int).

Here are the selected Young Reporters:

Adriána Henčeková, Slovakia

My name is Adriána Henčeková and I am 18 years old. I live in the Eastern part of Slovakia in a small city Spišská Nová Ves. I am a high school student. I am interested in biology and geography at school. I have been in the programme Young reporters for the Environment for 6 years now. I am focusing mostly on taking photos and writing articles. Thanks to this programme I started to be interested in the environment and writing became my passion.

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Allison Gacad, Canada

I am an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia studying nutrition within the context of food security and environmental sustainability. Beyond the classroom, I have a passion for writing that I hope to combine with my analytical skills in the Sciences to support a future career in journalism. My love for our environment stems from exploring Canada’s forests, mountains, and oceans - be it in my hometown, Toronto, or my current city, Vancouver. As a Young Reporter, I am incredibly excited and grateful to bring COP23 to the communities I’ve worked with throughout the years!

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Mafalda Gomes, Portugal

My name is Mafalda Gomes and I was recently chosen to be a representative of YRE for the COP23. Just this past month my country was devastated by late season wildfires, one of the many indisputable effects of global warming, making 2017 the deadliest year on record for forest blazes. The future of planet Earth depends entirely on the commitments and sacrifices that we, as humans, are willing to make for the sake of a brighter future for generations to come.  Quoting UN Women Goodwill ambassador Emma Watson:” If not me, who? If not now, when?”

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Max Lönn, Sweden

I am very excited to be a part of YRE team at the COP 23. It is amazing that the youth get to participate in such a huge event. I believe that the media has a huge part to play in changing the way the world deals with climate issues, just as politicians and scientists. I am really looking forward to traveling to Bonn and hoping not only to make a difference but also having a great experience to look back upon in the future.

The initiative is partnered with UN Climate Change.

YRE students attending WEEC in Vancouver

YRE students attending WEEC in Vancouver

For the second time, YRE has been given the exciting opportunity of sending students to participate in the World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC).

This year, the congress will take place in Vancouver in Canada from the 9th to the 13th of September. YRE will be represented by 13 aspiring students from Turkey and Canada, including three from Seaquam Secondary, two from University of British Columbia, and eight from Izmir Saint Joseph High School.

The students will attend the different sessions, conduct interviews with participants, and write articles about their experiences. Make sure to have a look on Exposure, as we will be uploading the students’ articles here.

For the final plenary session, on the 13th of September, a highly dedicated student from Canada has been selected to be part of the panel discussion. Abnash Bassi is a grade 11 student from Seaquam Secondary in Delta. Through her participation in the YRE programme, she was inspired to become involved in a variety of activities related to education and environment. On the panel, she will be representing YRE internationally and she will also be talking about her personal experiences from the programme. 

With Abnash’s permission, we are sharing the following extract from her application:

“For me, YRE means focusing on spreading environmental awareness, but more so empowering myself and others to explore the capabilities we have in being messengers of change. You see, the power of being a Young Reporter for the Environment lies not in the title, nor the recognition, but in the raw epiphany that it serves as. As a teenager, I consume an endless amount of media. We use the media to learn, understand, and evolve alongside the world around us. However, a great deal of environmental issues are not explored by the media, and when they are, the coverage is often confusing and incomplete. This lack of coverage creates a gaping chasm in society’s understanding and fosters cognitive dissonance or even blind ignorance. It is within this chasm that the seemingly short term challenge of creating a video, composing a photo, or crafting an essay transforms into a long term bridge, a continuum of awareness. We ourselves can cover essential environmental issues - not just as reporters for a media company, or a school newspaper, but as reporters for the environment.”

PRESS RELEASE: Litter Less Campaign Phase III

The Litter Less Campaign: Six years and still going strong

Contact: Gosia Luszczek, International YRE Director
Foundation for Environmental Education
E: gosia@fee.global

September 2017 marks the beginning of Phase III (year 7) of the Litter Less Campaign, a joint initiative of the Wrigley Company Foundation and the Foundation for Environmental Education. The Campaign aims to engage and educate children and young people on the issue of litter and encourage them to make positive choices.

Two phases have been completed over the past six years, and the continued collaboration confirms the importance of the work and the on-going necessity of dealing with issues of litter and encouraging thoughtful behaviour from early on.

The main objectives of the Campaign are to:

• raise awareness of the effect of litter and waste on the local environment
• increase knowledge and practical skills in preventing and managing litter and waste
• improve students’ behaviour and the schools’ waste management treatment
• report on litter issues
• encourage collaboration between schools for spreading good practices
• tackle the issue of litter with active involvement from the local community

The partnership between the Wrigley Company Foundation and FEE already has a history of over six years of very effective collaboration. Phase II of the Litter Less Campaign began in 2014 and since then has been running in 35 countries in schools which engage in two of the FEE programmes - Eco-Schools (ES) and Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE). Over the full period of implementation of the Campaign, since 2011, 1,962,285 students in 3,184 schools from all over the world have been engaged. Such reach suggests that there is undoubtedly an impact on participants’ perceptions, behaviour and opinion leadership. In 2015-2016, a total of 1,356 Community Action Days were held and 240 schools introduced recycling systems.

For a short video about the achievements of the Litter Less Campaign Phase I and II, click here.

The Litter Less Campaign is our organisation’s largest project that embeds a positive and fruitful partnership between the Wrigley Company Foundation as the enabler, and FEE, its members, National Operators and participating schools as the implementers. This strong relationship allows for transparency and flexibility, which is ultimately what ensures the delivery of a fantastic Campaign.

Anne Vela-Wagner, Wrigley Company Foundation Executive Director, notes:
“The Wrigley Company Foundation is proud of the positive transformation that has occurred in schools and communities around the world through the Litter Less campaign. Teaching students to be leaders and work to change littering behaviour and improve their communities is the strength of the program”.

The new Phase III will engage schools from 15 countries from both the YRE and Eco-Schools programmes. At the end of the project, we plan to have over half a million of students involved in practical activities related to litter prevention. Our target is to change students’ behaviour and increase understanding and action around litter prevention by an additional 10% of the students we serve.

Daniel Schaffer, CEO of the Foundation for Environmental Education, adds:
“The Litter Less Campaign is a textbook example of how positive collaboration between the corporate world and a respected NGO can realise a shared vision. We highly appreciate the long-term partnership with the Wrigley Company Foundation and we are extremely grateful for the possibility of moving the Litter Less Campaign into Phase III. Their strong commitment and support cannot be taken for granted.”

Participating through the Young Reporters for the Environment Programme:

• Australia
• China 
• India
• Ireland
• Israel
• Malta 
• New Zealand
• Northern Ireland
• Spain
• Wales

Participating through the Eco-Schools Programme:

• Australia
• China
• England
• India 
• Ireland 
• Kenya
• Mexico 
• Northern Ireland
• Russia
• Scotland
• Spain 
• Wales

About the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE)

With members in 76 countries around the world, FEE’s programmes represent the cutting edge in Education for Sustainable Development and Environmental Education. It is the vision of the Foundation for Environmental Education that its programmes empower people everywhere to live sustainably and in an environmentally conscious manner.

About the Wrigley Company Foundation

The Wrigley Company Foundation has awarded more than $70 million USD since its establishment in 1987. With a focus on oral health, the environment, particularly education for litter prevention, and improving Wrigley’s site and sourcing communities, it works to build brighter futures around the world.

About Wrigley

Wrigley is a recognized leader in confections with a wide range of product offerings including gum, mints, hard and chewy candies, and lollipops. Wrigley's world-famous brands – including Extra®, Orbit®, Doublemint®, and 5™ chewing gums, as well as confectionery brands Skittles®, Starburst®, Altoids® and Life Savers® – create simple pleasures for consumers every day. With operations across 50 countries and distribution in more than 180 countries, Wrigley's brands bring smiles to faces around the globe. The company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, employs approximately 15,000 associates globally, and operates as a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated.
 
Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With almost $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world’s best-loved brands: M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, UNCLE BEN’S®, MARS DRINKS and COCOAVIA®. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include BANFIELD® Pet Hospitals. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire its more than 85,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.

Result - YRE Short Video Competition

Result - YRE Short Video Competition

YRE International opened a Short Video Competition during the Global Action Days in November 2016 and in April 2017. 

We received a number of great entries from enthusiastic Young Reporters from around the world. We want to thank all the participants for their great work and the engagement on the YRE programme. We hope that you will be pursuing your ambition and keeping up with your great work. 

After much deliberation, we chose Rúben de Matos from Portugal as the winner of the competition. Congratulation to Rúben! 

We would also like to give special mentions to the following participants for their outstanding work.  

• Adriana Hencekova (Slovakia)
• Carolina Fonseca (Portugal)
• Joana Pedro (Portugal)
• Luis Caixado (Portugal)
• Martina Mifsud (Malta) 
• Michael Jessup (New Zealand)
• Ricardo Rocha (Portugal)

We were very happy to see some entries from old Young Reporters from more than a decade ago. Thank you again for your contribution!

It is NOM time again!

This year’s Young Reporters for the Environment National Operators Meeting (NOM) is taking place in Guimarães, Portugal from 16-18 February.

The meeting will be hosted by Associação Bandeira Azul da Europa (ABAE), FEE member organisation in Portugal. Thanks to their great work and the warm hospitality of the city of Guimarães, everything is in place and we are looking forward to another exciting NOM again this year.

It will be the biggest YRE NOM yet, with over 30 National Operators from 30 countries. We will also have guest speakers who will give us inspirational talks on various topics related to the programme. We will, of course, have our Young Reporters too who will report on the meeting and showcase their activities and skills.

We have received some messages from our participants.

“Keep New Zealand Beautiful joined YRE because we believe that young people can make a huge positive change by inspiring our leaders to provide a clean, green environment for future generations.  I’m looking forward to meeting all the National Operators so that we may share both the successes and challenges faced in each of our respective countries.  As a newoperator I am hoping to learn as much as I can and then bring that knowledge back to New Zealand to build an even bigger and better YRE programme.”
Christine, National Operator in New Zealand

“I’m really looking forward to this year’s NOM.  It’s always great to meet other National Operators, share ideas and be inspired. I’m also looking forward to discussions about how to develop theprogramme and how to relate to the SDGs.”
Pia, National Operator in Sweden

“This will be the biggest YRE NOM ever and I am looking forward to meeting all the National Operators! It is really nice to see how the programme itself is growing and I think we should be more than proud about that. It will also be a very important NOM as per future development discussions of the programme. Last but not least, it will be also very important to exchange ideas and models about how to run the programme nationally. Let’s run YRE even more efficiently! I am already excited, and you?”
Boris, FEE Board member for YRE

We are looking forward to seeing everyone in a few days!

YRE exposure at the COP 22

This year's Climate Change Conference (COP22) took place in Marrakech, Morocco from 7-18 November 2016.

YRE had a successful presentation at the COP 22, thanks to the great initiative shown by our Moroccan FEE/YRE member organisation, the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental protection.  

One of the highlights was that two YRE students presented "the Voice of Youth", a recommendation of actions towards combatting Climate Change, in front of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa, Patricia Espinosa, UNFCCC secretary Executive, Irina Bokova UNESCO General Director, and the minister of education of Morocco. 

Mariame Mouhoub, YRE Student from Marrakech also presented a statement on the youth future in front of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI and Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, which was another key moment for the programme. 

Hands on work by Young Reporters

Left: Filipa Murta / Right: Joana Pedro

At the COP 22, we had two Young Reporters from Portugal, Joana Pedro and Filipa Murta, covering the sessions and events. They have produced articles and videos on the COP 22 and they are posted on the YRE Exposure page. 

"Accepting the challenge of going to Marrakesh in Morocco and having the mission to go to COP 22 to prepare journalistic material was undoubtedly very gratifying and enriching. It was very interesting to notice the multicultural presence at the COP 22, there were people from all over the world and mobilized by the same hope for the sustainability, a better world in which we can live. Observing the courage and hope of the representatives changed my perspective. I left Morocco with other horizons and new visions about the world. For me the most interesting and powerful moment was the workshop that we had together with Young Reporters from Morocco and also from Africa. In addition to environmental knowledge, I learned how a country can be so different from ours. An experience to repeat ..."

Filipa Murta

"Being at the COP22 as an YRE was an absolutely amazing and memorable experience. Despite being a little lost at first, we started exploring the COP venue and Marrakech itself and we felt at home almost instantly. In a few days I was able to encounter several people from different countries, also interested in climate issues, and understand how a conference of this magnitude works.  Concluding, the opportunity of being involved in the COP made me outgrow and surpass myself, forcing me to practice new skills and adapt to the odd environment around me. Being at the COP is all an YRE can ask for."

Joana Pedro

Get on board!! - YRE Global Action Days

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The Global Action Days is a call for all students and teachers around the world to be active and share their actions on being more sustainable in our modern world. Become inspired and be part of the change this world needs!

The period for the Global Action Days 2016 is from 7 to 13 November. 

Learn more about YRE Global Action Days

Share your actions and stories on our Global Action Days Facebook page where you can also read about great stories from all around the world. 

 

YRE short video competition

YRE International is organising a short video competition for all the current and previous participants of YRE programme. Read more about the competition from below! 

YRE short video competition

Internship opportunity for the YRE programme

YRE International is looking for an intern who will work with us on research and programme development for the YRE programme from this autumn. 

The call is open for students or graduate students with background in pedagogical education, communication, environmental study, or policy studies. It is an offer for unpaid internship.

Read more about the opportunity

If you have any inquiry regarding the call, please contact us at any time. 

We are looking forward to hearing from you! 

YRE International Jury and Competition Winners 2016

The Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) International Jury meeting for the 2016 Competition successfully took place on 26 May at the Foundation for Environmental Education Head Office in Copenhagen, Denmark.

YRE International Jury 2016

The Jury was composed by stakeholders in the fields of environmental journalism and Education for Sustainable Development. The members, as of May 2016, are Christopher Slaney, freelance journalist, Mari Nishimura, Associate Programme Officer, UNEP, Julie Saito, Programme Specialist of Communication, UNESCO, Clemens Bomsdorf, journalist and correspondent for the Nordic countries, Torvald Jacobsson, Founding Director of TheGoals.org, Amine Ahlafi, FEE Board of Directors member, responsible for YRE, and Anne Vela-Wagner, Executive Director of the Wrigley Company Foundation. You can find more information on their profiles here. 

The Jury went through and discussed the top national entries in the media categories of articles, photographs and videos, across the age categories 11-14, 15-18, 19-21, as well as the new category; International Collaboration. The Jury then decided on this year's YRE International Competition winners, who will be shortly receiving prizes and distinctions for their entries. All entries can be found on the competition's Exposure page.

Here is a general comment from the Jury members; 

The members of YRE International Jury appreciated this year’s submissions for the YRE International Competition. The Jury members are especially impressed with the quality of submissions in younger age categories. Some of the submissions from younger age categories are well-made in terms of composition, structure, and technics. The Jury members also appreciated the submissions for the new category; International Collaboration. The Jury members hope to see more of this collaboration between students and youths in different countries.

The each first place winner will receive a prize of a laptop, camera or video camera according to the media category. The winning entries will also be published on Huffington Post kids as a prize. 

The winners for 2016 are:

Article

11-14 years old

1st Place
Title: Not to bee put aside
Author: Lovisa Kjell, Hildur Eriksson (Sweden)
"A very interesting approach. It is a wonderful piece with a great cover photo and a good ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) story. "

2nd Place
Title: Now You See It, Now You Don’t: Plastic Pollution Near and Far
Author: Sarah Goodstadt (Canada)

2nd Place
Title: Save Ksar El Kebir Gardens!
Author: Khadija Soussi, Omar El Bakri, Ghizlan Lanaya, Fatima Boudich, Khaoula Loumi and Zakaria Saydi (Morocco)

15-18 years old

1st Place
Title: Green Roofs – A new life to city’s monotony
Author: Angelina Grom’yak, Maria Cruz, Diogo Marques, Rodrigo Mateus, Pedro Barreira, Bárbara Machado (Portugal)
"It is well-researched and well-written with good amount of data."

2nd Place
Title: Coffee Pods - a Modern Trend or an Environmental Risk?
Author: Patrícia Beličková (Slovakia)

3rd Place
Title: Metempsychosis in a dustbin
Author: Marie Pouillaude (France)

19-21 years old

1st Place
Title: Clean water is the source of our lives
Author: Andrijana Arsić (Serbia)
"A good approach to the topic, and it shows the actual engagement. Interested in the implementation of actual actions."

2nd Place
Title: Impact of our railways
Author: Joana Pedro (Portugal)

3rd Place
Title: A Waste paper… a Lost Tree
Author: Ilham Derrez, Haitham Fathi, Ouiam Zeaimi, Wijdane Jouhari, Soukaina El Aouni, Diaeedine Dahmouch (Morocco)

Photograph

11-14 years old

1st Place
Title: Surprising and unexpected finding
Author: João Pedro Paour Carvalho (Portugal)
"It shows the effort to understand the problem, and the story is good and well-connected to the picture. The picture is beautiful. "

2nd Place
Title: Guilty Conscience
Author: Julia Scerri (Malta)

15-18 years old

1st Place
Title: "I live today hoping for a better tomorrow"
Author: Sonia Miheş (Romania)
"A great photo, horizon at an angle, smoke stack over shoulder, hands in pockets. It is a symbolic and eye-catching picture, and it delivers a strong message."

2nd Place
Title: Returned to sender by the waves!
Author: Kurt Micallef (Malta)

3rd Place
Title: We are Killiing Ourselves
Author: Lukáš Krnčok (Slovakia)

19-21 years old

1st Place
Title: Companionship
Author: Xue Fan (China)
"A nice and strong photo. Eye-catching. "

2nd Place
Title: The Last Call
Author: Ouijdane Chahdi, Mohamed Lwardi (Morocco)

3rd Place
Title: Gardens Bloom Once a Year…
Author: Irina Gavrilova (Kazakhstan)

Video

11-14 years old

1st Place
Title: Energy in water
Author: Ana Daniela Silva, Bruna Silva, Inês Rodrigues (Portugal)
"A great story and well-told. Reporters managed to view the issue objectively, particularly by pointing out what improvements are still lacking, while addressing the environmental benefit of this means of transportation."

2nd Place
Title: “Tale of ant and elephant”
Author: MUSTAFA EMİR KAYA, OĞUZ TOPAL, BARKIN CANOĞULLARI, BATIN GÖRKEM ÇOLAK, AZRA PEKGÖZ, ELİF NİSA BOYRAZ, BUĞRA MACUNCU, BİYÇE KORKMAZ, GÜLÇİN DİNÇ, CEYLİN AKIN (Turkey)

3rd Place
Title: Trees in Nová Dubnica
Author: Mária Jánošíková, Tamara Eliášová, Michal Mazánik (Slovakia)

15-18 years old

1st Place
Title: Bready steady sort in Blaise Pascal High School
Author: Axel Heitz-Retamal, Emma Plisson, Clémence Borgard, Eglantine Meriau, Delphine Millard, Damien Mouveau (France)
"A great story, many different elements but all interconnected. Good approach and it works well. Nice camera work and unique ending which makes this piece original."

2nd Place
Title: Collect Cooking Oil and Make a Difference
Author: Matej Majerský, Patrik Štefík (Slovakia)

3rd Place
Title: Plastic Pollution
Author: Mymoon Bhuiyan (Canada)

3rd Place
Title: One day as an environmental crook
Author: David Norberg, Elias Vernersson, Maja Jonsson, Julia Portin (Sweden)

19-21 years old

 No winners

International Collaboration

Honourable mention
Title: Bicycle: the vehicle for sustainable mentality
Author: Maria Carreira, Sharad Poudel, Martim Teixeira, Rita Costa, Kyriaki Hadjichambi, Katerina Papamiltiadous (Cyprus and Portugal) 
"Good research and arguments from different perspectives are described."

The meeting was concluded by a fruitful conversation on the developments in Young Reporters for the Environment, and how the programme and the competition itself can evolve in the future.

Let's go viral! YRE promotional video

YRE International is happy to open the week of YRE Global Action Days with a brand new YRE promotional video. 

The video is to share the joy of the programme with everyone and especially with YOU, the Young Reporters and the potential Young Reporters around the world!

Enjoy!!

Call for action! Global Action Days 18-24 April

It is once again time for Young Reporters around the world to get your voices heard! 

The Global Action Days is a call for all students and teachers around the world to be active and share their actions on being more sustainable in our modern world. 

WHEN: 18-24 April 2016

Be creative and use your skills to deliver your opinions and thoughts in the best possible way! Please register yourself on Global Action Days website and share your action and stories on our Global Action Days Facebook page. 

UNESCO recognition of YRE

YRE programme has been recognised by UNESCO Green Citizen project as one of the best practices toward sustainable future, together with all other FEE programmes!

UNESCO 'Green Citizens' aims to show leaders, farmers, workers and the parents of tomorrow how crucial sustainable development is for the future of our societies. It is ultimately a communication platform, which highlights different success stories from around the world.

As part of our partnership with UNESCO, FEE has been asked to provide the Green Citizens project with information on the organisation and its programmes, good practices from National Operators, and information on the awards related to FEE.

Please check out the website for more information!

Young Reporters for the Environment 

Other FEE programmes

Blue Flag, Eco-Schools,  LEAF,  Green Key 

YRE International Competition is on the way!

YRE International competition is open to youth aged 11-21 in countries running the YRE programme. The competition is held annually to recognise the great work being done by motivated Young Reporters around the world. This year, the International Jury meeting will be held on 26 May at Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) Head Office in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Jury consists of representatives from various international organisations. The result will be announced no later than 5 June, and the winners will receive recognition and prizes. 

The Competition includes the winners of the YRE National Competitions. Students participating in the YRE programme in each country have the right to participate in the National Competition. Students that enter and are selected as the national winners are put forward to the International Competition. Please contact the YRE National Operator in your country for more information on YRE National Competition. 

Remember last year?

Our Young Reporters for the Environment National Operators Meeting (NOM) is taking place very soon! This year we are gathering in Glasgow, Scotland on 26-28 February.

The meeting will be hosted by Keep Scotland Beautiful, FEE member organisation in Scotland. Thanks to their great effort, everything is in place and we are looking forward to another fantastic and productive NOM, this year.

National Operators from 22 YRE countries will participate, as well as guests and speakers from various organisations, from various countries. We are also expecting engagement of young people from Scotland, which will be a wonderful addition to our meeting.

We are all excited and really looking forward to seeing you all again for another fruitful NOM!!