Environmental Citizenship and Youth Activism

Abstract

A citizen’s capacity to act in society as an agent of change is an important element of Environmental Citizenship. This chapter discusses the concept of activism and the importance of activism initiatives in the development of citizens’ willingness and competences for critical, active and democratic engagement in preventing and solving environmental problems. Several possible ways for young people to get involved in environmental activism are presented. Also discussed is the possible and desirable combination of youth activism with citizen science, as a catalyst for empowering future citizens with the willingness and the higher-level abilities for participating in the global effort for a sustainable development and assuming the responsibility for future generations. Youth activism represents a key element in Education for Environmental Citizenship, allowing students to exercise their environmental rights and duties and to develop the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that empower them as problem-solvers capable of facing the contemporary environmental problems.

The Impact of Student-Curated Exhibitions about Socio-Scientific Issues on Students’ Perceptions Regarding Their Competences and the Science Classes

“…Through these exhibitions, students felt more competent in (1) informing other citizens about the socio-scientific issue they have investigated, (2) engaging them in discussion on the necessary conditions to assure responsible research and innovation practices in those areas, and even (3) challenging them to participate in collective action aimed at promoting those responsible practices. In this way, the IRRESISTIBLE student-curated exhibitions constituted an opportunity for students to participate in (and to instigate) community action on socio-scientific issues-a major characteristic of exhibitions on controversial issues [16,22,[24][25][26][27] and a major dimension of scientific literacy [11,12,18,37,50,51].…”

“…Through these exhibitions, students informed and alerted the community about the socio-scientific issues they had researched, and triggered discussion on the necessary conditions to assure responsible research and innovation practices in those areas. The exhibitions took place as collective actions of democratic problem-solving, enabling students as critics and producers of knowledge, instead of placing them in the simple role of knowledge consumers [9][10][11][12][13].…”

The Impact of Student-Curated Exhibitions about Socio-Scientific Issues on Students’ Perceptions regarding their Competences and the Science Classes

“…Through these exhibitions, students felt more competent in (1) informing other citizens about the socio-scientific issue they have investigated, (2) engaging them in discussion on the necessary conditions to assure responsible research and innovation practices in those areas, and even (3) challenging them to participate in collective action aimed at promoting those responsible practices. This way, the IRRESISTIBLE student-curated exhibitions constituted an opportunity for students to participate in (and to instigate) community action on socio-scientific issues -a major characteristic of exhibitions on controversial issues [16,22,[24][25][26][27] and a major dimension of scientific literacy [11,12,18,37,50,51].…”

“…Through these exhibitions, students informed and alerted the community about the socioscientific issue they have researched, and triggered discussion on the necessary conditions to assure responsible research and innovation practices in those areas. The exhibitions took place as collective actions of democratic problem solving, enabling students as critics and producers of knowledge, instead of placing them in the simple role of knowledge consumers [9][10][11][12][13].Socio-scientific issues can be defined as hot science, focused on the symmetry between various interests or perspectives related to controversial issues [14][15][16]. Exhibitions about socio-scientific issues are a consequence of the shift in scientific literacy meaning from (1) the understanding of the products and processes of science to (2) the understanding of the complex interactions between science, technology and society that allows citizens' critical analysis and engagement in socioscientific issues and informed decision-making processes [17][18][19][20][21].…”

“…Through these exhibitions, students informed and alerted the community about the socioscientific issue they have researched, and triggered discussion on the necessary conditions to assure responsible research and innovation practices in those areas. The exhibitions took place as collective actions of democratic problem solving, enabling students as critics and producers of knowledge, instead of placing them in the simple role of knowledge consumers [9][10][11][12][13].…”