How to engage with youth on highly complex environmental issues

The use of animated characters in advertising to young children is a strategic communication tactic frequently examined, debated, and criticized by parents, researchers, child advocates, and government officials. If we combine this theory with the idea that children retain knowledge through an activity, we have the start of a fun concept that GRID-Arendal wants to explore.

Producing an animated film presents itself as an ideal activity to engage and teach children about complex environmental issues. Animation is already a popular medium among children because it engages children through vibrant colour schemes, interesting and fun characters, and accessible and relatable stories.

The popularity of animation among children alone naturally piques children’s interest and curiosity in an animation workshop

This year during the last 2 days of Arendalsuka 30 children (aged 14) from St. Franciskus School visited GRID-Arendal to participate in our pilot animation workshop called ANIMATE YOUR POWER FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE.

The children from two groups were divided into 6 groups with 3-7 children per group. Our expert staff gave an overview of the Green Debate, which took place between various organizations and policymakers earlier in the week. Then our Animation Expert (Hasan Abbas) provided a quick introduction to the fundamentals of animation.

Each group of children were then encouraged to make their own animated films expressing their opinions regarding the outcomes of the Green Debate. 

As a starting point, the participating children were given a simplified idea behind the Green Debate in form of a question: How to make Norway Greener?

Teaching children how to produce an animated film not only makes a complex issue accessible to children but also gives the children a platform to develop and express opinions regarding the given issue. Animated films use storytelling to simplify complex issues through visual and narrative metaphors. Teaching children to develop visual and narrative metaphors about a complex environmental issue engages children’s creativity, critical thinking, problem solving and imagination to develop and express their opinions about the given issue. Producing an animated film can often require advanced skills, but thanks to smartphones, tablets and apps, producing an animation has become relatively accessible to all.

The participating children in the workshop were introduced to three basic animation principles: timing and spacing, basic structure of storytelling, and a simplified process of producing an animation. They also received a brief demonstration of the smartphone stop-motion animation tool for them to use in the workshop.

By the end of the two-day workshop, the participating children voiced their opinion about How to make Norway Greener? through six animated films. So, the children not only learned about the outcomes from the Green Debate, but we as a science communication organization also learned how children perceive the current efforts of decision makers on the fight against the nature and climate crisis, which I believe is just as valuable for us to further understand our youth demographic.

Furthermore, producing animated film with others gave the children the opportunity to develop their teamwork, decision-making, and diplomatic skills. It was possible for interested children to pick up producing animation as a hobby and continue to voice their opinions after this event.

Our hope is that the parents of the children who attended the workshop have received second-hand knowledge and/or gained interest in the environmental issues when kids talk about the workshop at home.