YRE ALUMNI
Inspiring youth leaders
Our YRE Alumni are a group of inspiring individuals who have showed a particular interest and engagement in the YRE programme. Some have represented YRE at international conferences, some are assisting their YRE National Operators, some have won a first place prize in the International YRE Competition. Common to all of them is that they are local youth leaders who are raising their voices concerning environmental issues.
Watch the video below to learn about Kristin Rodrigo’s journey to become a YRE alumni:
stay connected
As the environmental career opportunity landscape is constantly evolving, helping Young Reporters for the Environment to stay connected is crucial for young aspiring environmental leaders to stay ahead of the game. Our FEE Young Reporters for the Environment LinkedIn page will allow alumni of the programme to:
Share environmental knowledge and expertise
Many of our YRE alumni come from diverse backgrounds spanning the globe with various environmental experiences, the LinkedIn page allows them to share their current knowledge and insights with each other.
Stay up-to-date trends
The environmental sector is fast paced. A dedicated YRE LinkedIn page is a prefect real-time opportunity for alumni to share research updates, industry news, upcoming events, training, and job opportunities- to give them the competitive edge!
Showcase experience and achievements
YRE alumni can use the LinkedIn page to showcase their environmental learning, publications, work and achievements, making them more discoverable to potential employers, whilst allowing them to celebrate each others’ progress in the environmental sector.
Promote youth led environmental reporting
The LinkedIn page serves as a platform to demonstrate youth environmental voice in action. To help show important decision makers the value of engaging with young people and adults when creating and putting environmental policies into practice.
Disclaimer for Educators Sharing the FEE Young Reporters for the Environment Alumni LinkedIn page
Whilst encouraging YRE alumni to keep the FEE Young Reporters for the Environment LinkedIn in mind when they are close to entering the environmental workforce, please also be aware:
Young people under the age of 13 should NOT be encouraged to create a LinkedIn account.
Young people under the age of 18 should ONLY create a LinkedIn account with parental or guardian permission
While the FEE Young Reporters for the Environment’s LinkedIn page offers valuable information, it may not be the most age-appropriate platform for younger YRE alumni. We recommend making this offer available to those who are aged 16 or over.
It is important to remind young people about online privacy, responsible use and behaviour should they choose to join the FEE Young Reporters for the Environment Alumni LinkedIn page.
UNESCO Youth Forum / YRE Mission 2018
In March 2018, we gathered 42 YRE alumni from 24 countries around the world to participate in a three-day workshop focused on Education for Sustainable Development. The event was a joint initiative between UNESCO and Foundation for Environmental Education.
YRE Alumni Spotlight Stories
Rebecca Williams (Canada)
Artist
In 2012, I was able to go to Copenhagen to collaborate with other youth on environmental efforts and in 2014, I attended the conference in Nagoya Japan on ESD as a Young Reporter for the Environment. Looking forward to digging deeper into this community. After participating in YRE in Copenhagen, Nagoya (Japan), and Portugal, I went on to complete my studies in Interdisciplinary Studies & created my own program spanning mostly artistic, cultural, and environmental disciplines.
I continued to travel during my studies and beyond that. I started to travel & make mosaics and murals/ artworks in exchange for room & board.
One notable piece was in Oaxaca, Mexico, where I collected ceramics from the streets & calles, from the markets & even met traditional ceramicists & sculptors who are carrying on their family pottery making legacy. I collected all mosaic ceramic pieces from the ground & made a mural at Hostal Central Oaxaca over a working time span of 4 months. I will include a picture. It was amazing to learn about the local history through the pieces of ceramic I found in the streets & upcycle these gems into an artwork. The artwork depicts the Maguey Agave plant which is very important locally in Oaxaca & Mexico, & has Goddesses & Gods associated with it. The plant takes many years to flower & finally when it flowers, it also dies and passes on its seeds to the earth. This motif of the cycle of LIfe & reverence for it is depicted in my mosaic. The skull is important locally for Dia de Muertos, which is most celebrated in Oaxaca. I completed the artwork on the day of the beginning of Dia de Muertos in 2018. It is one of my greatest accomplishments as an artist. This is one example of the work I have been doing since participating in YRE. I have dedicated my life to my artwork and my family & honouring Mother Nature & learning more and more about Life.
YRE Coordinator in Slovakia
When I look back at the past years, it seems incredible what I have gone through and experienced in the Young Reporters program. I started in elementary school as a student and fell in love with writing which led me to study journalism and deepen my skills to write various genres. Later, I continued my studies in environmental studies, so it seems my life path so far mirrors the content of the program. Thanks to the program and experiences from international and national workshops, I also received various job opportunities. I had the chance to work as an intern in an international office, which gave me a valuable insight into the background of the program. I used this experience when writing my thesis at the end of my studies, which dealt with the program’s contribution to active citizenship. This whole journey led me to the opportunity to become a freelance journalist and program coordinator in Slovakia, and I am excited about what else the Young Reporters will bring into my life! I consider my journey as proof that the program has much to offer students, even if they are involved for several years, and it brings great challenges and opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Connect with me on LinkedIn!