From Classrooms to Climate Champions: Nurturing the Next Generation of Climate Leaders in Sinoe
Inside classrooms across Sinoe County, a quiet but powerful movement is taking shape. Young Liberians are learning what climate change truly means for their communities and discovering that they have a role to play in shaping a more sustainable future. Through the Sinoe Building Climate Resilience Project (SBCRP), hundreds of students are no longer just studying the environment; they are becoming climate champions.
Launched by BASA Development Initiatives (BDI) in partnership with Conservation International (CI) and supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the project aims to enhance climate literacy, promote sustainable waste management, and restore fragile ecosystems. At the heart of this effort is an ambitious goal: to directly train 500 students who will go on to establish and lead climate clubs in ten high schools across the county, eventually cascading their knowledge to an additional 1,000 students.
So far, 328 of the 500 students have already completed their training sessions, which are led directly by BDI project staff. These sessions are interactive and practical, focusing on the basics of climate science, local environmental challenges, and how students can take collective action through tree planting, waste segregation, and peer education.
Teachers and Journalists Join the Journey
BDI has also trained 100 teachers and six journalists who will serve as mentors and amplifiers of climate awareness. The teachers are helping to integrate climate literacy into classroom discussions, while the journalists are producing radio programs and dramas in local languages to reach wider audiences. This synergy between schools and media is creating a strong platform for community-level education and behavior change.
According to field updates, ten climate clubs are expected to be fully operational by the first or second week of November. These clubs will act as the backbone of the youth movement, organizing environmental campaigns, leading school-based tree planting, and documenting climate stories from their communities.
Human Stories That Inspire Change
During the initial baseline activities, one student, Ma. Juah Wilson from St. Joseph Catholic High School stood out for her enthusiasm. Despite being told she might not be included in the survey due to her grade level, she pleaded for a chance to participate. Her curiosity and commitment touched the team, and her thoughtful answers reflected the genuine passion that many students feel toward protecting their environment.
Her story is just one example of how the project is igniting a new wave of youth leadership in climate action. Students are not waiting for change to come from elsewhere; they are stepping forward as messengers, advocates, and doers in their schools and communities.
Alignment with Liberia’s ARREST Agenda
The SBCRP directly supports Liberia’s ARREST Agenda, particularly under the pillars of Resilience and Education. By fostering climate-conscious students and teachers, the project strengthens local capacity to adapt to environmental change and build sustainable systems that can outlast project timelines. It also enhances the culture of accountability and knowledge-sharing envisioned in Liberia’s development goals.
A Growing Movement with National Significance
The results in Sinoe are only at the beginning. When the climate clubs become fully functional in November, students will begin leading awareness drives and tree planting across school grounds and nearby communities. These actions will contribute to the project’s larger goal of planting 5,000 trees and building climate-resilient mindsets across the county.
Through education, mentorship, and partnership, the Sinoe Building Climate Resilience Project is not only improving knowledge but also transforming mindsets. Every trained student, every engaged teacher, and every informed journalist becomes part of a growing movement — one that is preparing Liberia’s next generation to lead the fight for climate resilience from the classroom to the community.
