City launches Young Reporters for the Environment programme

30 January 2022

City calls on the youth to report on the environment.

This programme aims to empower young South Africans to pursue a collective vision of human rights, inclusivity, environmental and social justice by harnessing social media and its global network to tell their own solution-driven, knowledge rich and contextual stories. Experts in the field to determine bold, smart and sensitive solutions to local environmental issues and sharing these stories mentor Young Reporters.

‘This focus on making a positive difference uniquely positions high school learners to hone research and leadership skills and explore career options. YRE encourages self-directed learning essential for success after high school. This will be done by capacitating participants with contemporary environmental and media conceptual and practical knowledge, and fostering advocacy and hope with project-based experiential learning and expert mentorship,’ said Ward 15 Councillor Ian McMahon.

The first phase of the programme focusses on eight high schools in the City Centre. These include:
Cape Town High School
Gardens Commercial High School
Good Hope Seminary High School
Harold Cressy High School
Sea Point High School
Trafalgar High School
Vista High School

The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) is a 95-year-old youthful and vibrant organisation that is extremely proud of its rich history in South African conservation and environmental education. WESSA is the national operators for the Foundation for Environment Education (FEE)’s international Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) Programme.

‘One of our key objectives is to partner with organisations like WESSA to encourage optimising the use of natural assets. There is overwhelming evidence of the positive impacts of nature on the wellbeing of the body, mind and soul. Thus, I call on the young people to take full advantage of this opportunity as it will help them connect with mother nature. They can take pictures of their gardens at home, on their way to school, or anytime they find themselves outdoors. We asking the youth to be intentional about their reporting. They may choose to focus on something that interests them, spend time in nature looking for clues that speak to their intention and ultimately report on their find. We are hoping that this initiative will spark an interest in nature and the environment and, possibly, a career in this field,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.

This is programme will run for a year and once the first phase is completed, we will celebrate it with a showcase event of select environmental media projects by these Young Reporters for the Environment.

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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office