Making Eco Learning Fun
Profiles in Success: Adventure Ecology
Adventure Ecology is building the world’s most powerful youth network to promote respect for the environment and help fight climate change. The organisation uses Apple multimedia tools to engage and educate thousands of young people through a compelling mix of real-life ecology missions, creative animation and action-based learning resources.
“We use creativity, curiosity, information, entertainment and adventure to promote social and environmental sustainable living”, says David de Rothschild, Adventure Ecology’s founder. “Apple technology has helped us develop a robust platform for our activities, and we encourage teachers and children to produce and exchange their own content. Apple, like us, is edgy, exciting, easily accessible and really compelling for kids”.
Adventure Ecology is based on a simple belief: young people’s imaginations have to be captured to encourage respect for, and commitment to, the planet and its environment. That means using the visual ‘language’ of video and audio understood by today’s ‘digital kids’, and presenting the threat of climate change as a challenge to which every individual can respond.
Adventure Ecology is the vision of David de Rothschild, a passionate and hands-on environmentalist. He founded the project in 2005, with a deliberate emphasis on action-based learning and a belief that young people must be able to interact with the Adventure Ecology Web site, and express themselves and their ideas, if they are to feel personally committed and prepared to change the way they live their lives.
This principle of interactivity extends to one of the cornerstones of Adventure Ecology — real-life field expeditions. When David and his team visited the North Pole to study the impact of climate change in the region, network members could follow the route using sophisticated interactive maps. The team were presented as a series of avatars, to add appeal to younger visitors.
Under the leadership of Sylvia Guidara, Head of Education, Adventure Ecology offers a pioneering approach to educating about sustainable development. The emphasis is always on stimulating teaching resources and encouraging involvement and collaboration.
Next Page: Children in Control
Challenges
- Engage young people’s commitment to learn, act, share and speak on the environment
- Encourage a worldwide network to collaborate with ideas and solutions
- Make environmental learning fun, inspiring and challenging
- Use a combination of real expeditions, ‘edutainment’ and participation to galvanise enthusiasm
Solution
- iMac, MacBook, iPod
- iLife suite with iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iDVD and iTunes, iWork, Final Cut Express, QuickTime Pro
Get Involved
Visit the Adventure Ecology Web site to find out more about the organisation’s activities, and to get help make a difference to the future of the planet.
Explore more Profiles in Success