Eleven youth volunteers recently took part in our Duke of Edinburgh volunteer programme, utilising our new studio space in our Conservation Education Hub to become a voice for conservation through digital media.
Over a three month period, the youth volunteers developed their conservation knowledge and communication skills and created a conservation based digital conservation project of their choice.
The group spent time with conservation experts, learning about all our animals and conservation campaigns, including Sustainable Palm Oil and the Illegal Wildlife Trade. As part of their volunteering, they spent time engaging with our visitors at a wide range of animal habitats, helping them to have an amazing day out and contributing to our mission of preventing extinction by raising awareness of our conservation campaigns and field work.
During the programme, zoo specialists supported the young people in developing new skills in a digital masterclass as part of the project – where the youth volunteers were introduced to and taught skills relating to a number of different content-making disciplines, from filmmaking to photography.
One of the most effective ways to learn about a topic is it to teach someone else about it and this philosophy of learning by teaching is at the core of this project. Over the course of the project, the young people involved really immersed themselves in their chosen topic and through doing so really digested and internalised a heightened level of knowledge and understanding.
By focusing the project on delivering digital skills first, we’re able to attract and work with individuals who might otherwise have very little (if any) other links to such topics at school.
After the digital masterclass, the youth volunteers selected a digital content creation method in order to tell their own conservation story – focusing on topics such as the illegal wildlife trade and sustainable palm oil. The students were supported throughout the project to utilise the digital tools they had access to in order to create their project.
Digital Learning Officer, David Hughes said:
Equipping the students with a host of digital skills (including filmmaking, podcasting, and photography) has been a really valuable experience for them. In addition to the practical skills they have learnt as part of the project, the experience has also built upon a number of ‘soft skills’. The young people have worked as a team to plan, gather and create their own project, solving a variety of problems along the way. They have had to communicate with a variety of people to research their given topic – and they have had to carefully manage their time in order to deliver their finished project to a deadline.
Ultimately, the students produced a real variety of different formats, from films to podcasts, all created with other young people as a target audience and with a clear call to action.
Throughout the three-month programme, young people were supported by volunteer adult Youth Champion Volunteers. The volunteers are trained to support young people with their confidence and communication skills to help them engage with visitors in the zoo and participate in the digital projects.
Emma Savage, Volunteer Officer said:
“Our Youth Champions are amazing! As experienced volunteers, they provide support and encouragement to our youth volunteers, helping to build their confidence and knowledge about conservation. We really appreciate their support with our Duke of Edinburgh programme.”
Participants presented their projects to their families, teachers, Chester Zoo staff and volunteers at a celebration event in January; a particularly proud moment for parents, with one saying, “Volunteering has not only helped in their Duke of Edinburgh award but also helped to give the kids more confidence and encouragement for their life and future projects.”
Each of the youth volunteers who participated were presented with a certificate by Charlotte Smith, Director of Conservation.
If your school is interested in our Duke of Edinburgh youth volunteer programme please contact us at volunteers@chesterzoo.org