Our voices are the most compelling, dynamic tools we have to advocate needs, share ideas, and create change. The ability to communicate our ideas effectively and express our needs peacefully is a vital skill. The more adept we are at it, the better our quality of life will be, and the impacts ripple outward.

Today, modern technology makes content creation easier than ever. However, a massive digital divide separates wealthy and lower-income households. As our planet experiences dramatic social and environmental challenges, it is communities living along the coastlines where livelihoods are most affected by climate change and marine degradation due, in particular, to rising sea levels, plastic pollution, overfishing, and industrial activity. These villages face a twofold problem: lack of capacity to have their perspectives heard and barriers to receiving information on potential drivers of and adaptations to change.

Through our media and visual arts workshops, local youth from small-scale fishing villages develop key communication skills through the power of play and their own creativity. We work together with local partners and schools to provide a safe space for participants to observe and explore their lives, villages, and natural environments from behind the lens and new vantage points. Our goal is to engage local youth in a playful way that genuinely fosters self-trust, cultural values, and marine stewardship for their coastal communities' sustainable futures.