Martin Griffin (he/him)

How are you using education to build more sustainable and equitable communities? Tell us about your EE work and impact.

Building sustainable and equitable communities is a key focus of the Climate Leaders School. Our main objective is to train, empower, and equip young people to become inspiring leaders with all the necessary tools to tackle the climate crisis. We train participants on essential soft skills that every leader needs: effective communication, emotional intelligence, active listening, respect for others, and capacity building.

Additionally, we train them about climate change: its causes, consequences, our role in the climate crisis, and most importantly, what we can do to mitigate and adapt to climate change. We promote socio-environmental projects led by young people committed to improving the socio-environmental conditions of their communities through community-based and multidisciplinary initiatives and approaches.

We also encourage students to participate in different collective activities such as: Hackathons for the environment, environmental fairs, in-person training sessions, voluntary native species plantings, debate forums, production of podcasts on environmental topics, field trips to green spaces that allow for connection with nature, among others.

Tell us about your journey to where you are today. What inspired you? What has your path been like?

Since I was a child, I have always felt a deep connection with nature and environmental stewardship. I believe this connection began due to the contrast I noticed when leaving my hometown of Buenos Aires, a city that, like any large city, shows clear signs of pollution and inequality, along with limited access to natural green spaces. Through travel, I was able to connect with nature and developed a passion and admiration for it.

This connection led me to lead environmental projects in my school, pursue a degree in Environmental Management, and, more recently, a Master's in Climate Change Law and Economics. While I have always been involved in education, it was in the Escuelas Verdes program where I was able to merge my two passions and begin working in Environmental Education: driving, training, and motivating young people to become true agents of change towards building more equitable and sustainable communities.

How can people learn more about or support your work?

I would love to invite everyone interested in environmental education, and especially in empowering young leadership, to follow the Instagram of the School of Climate Leaders.

There you will find an overview of what we promote through the program: invitations to talks, workshops, meetings, and volunteer activities, a resource hub on the climate crisis, a socio-environmental project incubator, and more.

A Little More About Me

What (or who) keeps you hopeful for the future?

Seeing that more and more young people are becoming interested in environmental care and the fight against climate change, driving inspiring projects with a significant impact.

What makes you most excited to be an EE30U30 awardee?

 To have the opportunity to be part of a group of people passionate about environmental education, and being able to learn from and be inspired by each one of them.

What is one thing about you that might surprise others?

I am a board game fanatic.