To promote a deeper understanding of environmental issues among teenagers and help address these challenges, the not-for-profit organization Team Illuminate has introduced the Green Student Program in secondary schools.

This initiative aims to raise environmental awareness among teens by inspiring and empowering them to take student-led action in resolving environmental issues within their communities and schools.

In an interview with The Guardian, the award-winning environmentalist and founder of Team Illuminate, Saviour Iwezue, emphasized that the initiative is youth-driven and focuses on enhancing environmental education in schools by mobilising young people to lead environmental advocacy and action.

Iwezue noted that 75 high school students participated in the Green Student Workshop held in Lagos. As part of the program, five outstanding participants received micro-funding of N50,000 each along with three months of one-on-one mentorship to implement their ideas.

“In October last year, we gathered 75 high school students for the Green Student Workshop in Lagos. With support from Kwanda and Ashoka, we launched the fellowship to provide students with hands-on experience in leading environmental solutions,” she explained.

“The initiative welcomed its first-ever cohort of 20 Green Student Fellows from Lagos and Abuja, who participated in an eight-week fellowship, learning from experts and exploring climate design thinking and green career opportunities.

“The participants had free access to our online course, “Climate 101: From Basics to Action,” where they explored design thinking while developing their ideas. They learned from experts and received one-on-one mentorship from young environmentalists.

“Throughout the project showcase, five of the 20 fellows were awarded micro-funding of up to N50,000 each for their project implementation. Our fellows will continue to access further global opportunities through our partners,” Iwezue added.

Discussing the motivation behind the Green Student Programme, Iwezue shared that her journey as a changemaker inspired her to take environmental action at the age of 15. Over four years, she recognized the urgent need for more teenage-led solutions and voices in the climate movement.

“From my experience over the past four years, I realized that access to mentorship played a crucial role in my journey. I believe that teenagers have the creativity needed to tackle these challenges in unique ways.

“Environmental sustainability requires us to adjust our patterns and processes to favor the conservation and preservation of the Earth’s resources for future generations. While this is essential, the impacts of environmental issues like climate change are already affecting future generations today. This means that inaction now is very costly, but young people are well-positioned to take meaningful action through initiatives like the Green Student Programme,” she added.

The students who received micro-funding included Winner Oyegun, 14, from Focus High School in Abuja; Emmanuel Ogbonna, 17, from Agboju Senior Secondary School; Favour Ukana, 15, from Amuwo Odofin Community Senior Secondary School; Eco-Guard, Shukurat Abdulganiu, 15, from Kuje Senior Secondary School; and Lucy Ngwu, 16, from Amuwo Odofin Community Senior Secondary School.

The Green Student Programme was first launched in 2023 and is focused on building a community of empowered teenagers and green changemakers who lead solutions for the planet.