The Future in Young Hands: Report from the Future Camp in Wolfsburg

Using the hashtag #ProjektErde (English: #ProjectEarth), the Lower Saxony Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the city of Wolfsburg, sought dedicated students with their own sustainable projects. Our long-time Climate Juctice Ambassador Johann was a member of the jury and reports on the Futurecamp in Wolfsburg on May 23rd and 24th, 2024:

It amazes me every time I see how even elementary school children are committed to their future. Recently, I had the opportunity to witness this inspiring dedication once again. At the end of May, a two-day Future Camp organized by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Education took place in Wolfsburg, where students from all over Lower Saxony presented their sustainability projects.

As a jury member, I had the chance to get to know many of the projects and the teams behind them. The more unconventional projects stood out in particular, such as an app developed by a student that allows users to earn points for sustainable shopping and redeem them for vouchers. Other projects aimed at greening gravel gardens, making stone walls attractive for animals and plants, rescuing ponds, or building practical furniture for the schoolyard from old pallets that would otherwise have ended up in the trash.

There were so many projects that we, as the jury, had to jump from one project presentation to the next to get to know them all. Subsequently, the projects were evaluated based on various criteria such as sustainability, innovation, and implementation. The winning teams were then given the opportunity to present their projects at IdeasExpo 2024.

All this commitment shows that children and young people are ready to shape their future. The accusation of being too young or knowing too little has once again proven to be false here. In my work at Plant-for-the-Planet, I repeatedly encounter schoolchildren who are better informed and express themselves more eloquently than many adults. Children and young people are the future, and that is why it is absolutely right to support, challenge, and take their opinions seriously.

I am writing this blog during a negotiation break at the UN Bonn Climate Change Conference (SB60). The role of children and young people in the fight against the climate crisis was also being discussed here. Instead of children and young people speaking about their future, it was adults leading the discussions. Only one child was in the room… We need more representation of children and young people at the decision-making tables, and the Future Camp once again showed me that children and young people are ready to fill this role and stand up for their future!

Johann, Climate Justice Ambassador at Plant-for-the-Planet