Country of Residence
Nigeria
Age
18
Project title
Ecostories
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
EcoStories is a youth-led climate education initiative that uses storytelling, interactive school outreaches and community engagement to equip young people with the knowledge, mindset and practical skills to tackle environmental challenges and drive climate action in their communities.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
https://www.instagram.com/ecostoriesinitiative?vrfl=dXU0eG14YzJlbTli
Project Category
My project is an existing project that I started
Project Stage
Pilot-Stage (We’ve tried an activity or two)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
Growing up, I knew about climate change, but it always felt very distant to me. I didn't understand how everyday actions like littering could contribute to bigger problems like the flooding we experience around us. As I grew older, I realised many people around me did not the connection either. I started volunteering for environmental cleanups, but along the way, I realised that cleanups alone couldn't solve the problem. They were often one-off activities and people would still go back to the same habits afterwards. I began to realise that there needed to be a change in mindset. People needed to understand how their everyday actions, like littering and plastic pollution affect their environment and how they can protect it. That was what inspired me to start EcoStories. We started visiting schools to teach students about climate change, how their actions affect the environment and what they can begin to do differently. We also involve them in practical activities to help them understand what they are learning. Many times, when we visit these schools, we discover that some students don't even know what climate change is. Seeing them learn, understand these connections and begin to make changes in their habits has made me believe that EcoStories is worth pursuing. It has shown me that creating awareness can be the first step towards making a difference.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
The problems we are trying to address through EcoStories are flooding and plastic pollution. Growing up and living in Surulere, Lagos, I have seen how flooding becomes a recurring problem whenever it rains. It affects movement, businesses, homes and even prevents students from getting to school. One of the things contributing to this problem is the improper disposal of waste, especially plastics, which often end up blocking drainage channels. While many people wait for the government to address these problems, I believe we can also begin to take responsibility for our environment, one person at a time. Simple actions like disposing of waste properly, reducing single use plastics and keeping our surroundings and drainage channels clean can make a difference. Of course, we need the government to provide and maintain proper drainage systems but we also need people to play their part. Solving this problem matters to me because I believe that when people understand how their everyday actions contribute to bigger environmental problems, they can begin to change their habits. Through EcoStories, we want to encourage these changes, reduce plastic pollution and help build communities where people take responsibility for protecting their environment.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
EcoStories is a climate education and action initiative that focuses on changing mindsets and empowering young people to take action to protect their environment. We visit primary and secondary schools because we believe that if we want to create lasting change, we need to start with the next generation. We want young people to understand that they are not too young to make an impact and that they can contribute to solving environmental problems in their communities. During our school outreaches, we organise interactive sessions where we teach students about climate change, plastic pollution, how their everyday actions contribute to environmental problems like and what they can begin to do differently. However, we don't stop at creating awareness. We also engage students in practical upcycling activities where we teach them how to turn plastic items into creative and useful items. We also explore ways to reuse old clothes and turn them into new items like caps. Having volunteered for environmental cleanups, I understand how important they are. However, I also realised that if people's mindsets and habits do not change, they will keep returning to the same practices that contribute to environmental pollution. This is why we believe education must come first, alongside practical action. So far, we have reached five schools and impacted over 600 students. During our outreaches, we have seen students who initially had little or no understanding of climate change begin to understand how their actions affect the environment and express their willingness to contribute to protecting it. Through EcoStories, we hope to raise a generation of young people who are not just aware of environmental problems but equipped to do something about them.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
So far, EcoStories has reached over 600 students across five schools in Bariga, Akoka and Surulere, Lagos. But beyond the numbers are the students we have engaged and the changes in mindset we have begun to see. Many of the students we meet initially have little or no understanding of climate change or how their everyday actions contribute to environmental problems. Through our sessions and practical activities, we help them understand these connections and show them that they are not too young to make a difference. We have also had students reach out to us after our outreaches which has been encouraging. Our vision is to reach more schools across Lagos and eventually different states in Nigeria. We also want to train EcoStories ambassadors who can return to their schools and communities to educate and empower other young people to take environmental action. We are currently working on a workbook that will guide the training of these ambassadors. This will help us build a network of young climate champions who can keep the vision of EcoStories alive, even when our team is not physically present. Ultimately, we want to go beyond creating awareness. We want to equip young people with the knowledge, skills and confidence to take action and become part of the solution to environmental problems in their communities.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
What makes EcoStories different is our belief that lasting environmental change begins with a change in mindset. For us, tackling climate change goes beyond just organising clean-ups. It also means helping people understand why their everyday choices matter and developing a sense of responsibility towards the environment. We approach this through storytelling, environmental education and hands-on activities that connect climate issues to the everyday experiences of young people. By discussing issues such as plastic pollution, improper waste disposal and flooding in Lagos, we help students understand that climate change is not a distant global conversation; it affects their communities and is influenced by their daily decisions. We also believe that learning becomes more meaningful when it is practical. This is why we engage students in activities such as upcycling allowing them to explore how materials often discarded as waste can be given a new purpose. These activities help turn environmental lessons into experiences they can learn from and replicate in their everyday lives. Our focus is also on our generation. We believe young people should not simply grow up learning about the environmental problems they will inherit; they should have the knowledge, confidence and opportunities to influence the solutions. We are working towards making environmental education a continuous learning experience through structured, curriculum-aligned resources and student-led EcoStories clubs. Ultimately, EcoStories seeks to move young people from awareness to understanding, from understanding to action, and from individual action to collective responsibility. We want environmental consciousness to become part of how our generation thinks, learns and lives.
How many people are on your team?
5
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
EcoStories has a five-member team, including me as the founder. Our team members oversee Programmes and Impact, Research and Climate Education, Media and Storytelling, and Operations and Finance. We share responsibilities, contribute ideas and work together to plan and carry out our school outreaches. Each team member brings their skills and perspective to the project.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
Over the next year, EcoStories is building on the work we have already started by reaching more schools in Lagos and extending to other states in Nigeria. We are taking our outreaches beyond awareness sessions by making them more practical. This includes teaching students how to upcycle used clothes into items like caps and turn plastic waste into useful products. An important part of this growth is establishing EcoStories clubs in schools we have already visited. Climate change and environmental education do not receive the attention they deserve in students' regular learning, so we believe these clubs can help fill that gap. Rather than having students learn about the environment during a one-off outreach, the clubs will give them a space to keep learning, practise what they have learnt and take action over time. Through inter-school competitions and Eco-Challenges, we will also encourage students to share their ideas and efforts. We are currently developing a workbook to guide our sessions and ambassador training. This will help us make our approach easier to replicate as we expand. Ultimately, we are building EcoStories into something that goes beyond school visits: a growing network that equips young people with the knowledge, skills and confidence to take climate action and contribute to SDG 13.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
At EcoStories, we believe that people are more likely to act when they understand how an issue affects their everyday lives. This is why we use storytelling, interactive learning and practical activities to make environmental education relatable and accessible. So far, we have reached over 600 students through school outreaches, engaging them in conversations about climate change, plastic pollution, waste management and how everyday habits contribute to environmental challenges, including flooding in Lagos. Rather than simply speaking to them, we encourage participation through questions, discussions and practica activities that help them connect what they learn to their immediate environment. Beyond the outreaches, I work with a team that contributes to our research, climate education, media, partnerships and programme delivery. We also use digital storytelling to extend these conversations beyond the classroom and encourage more young people to engage with environmental issues. Our approach is to make every student more than a participant in a workshop. We want them to become storytellers and advocates who take these conversations into their homes and communities. We are building on the school engagements already carried out by developing a more structured environmental education approach that can be replicated across schools.
