Framing action in a youth climate change filmmaking program: hope, agency, and action across scales

Abstract

This article presents a mixed methods investigation of discourse about action on climate change and other socioenvironmental challenges in the context of an informal climate change and film education program. We focused on how action was framed by students, their mentors, and in their co-produced films. Students and films predominantly framed action as something that individuals, including youth, can and should do by making small choices in their daily lives. These choices were framed as being effective when many individuals participate in them. Co-produced films spread messages of hope and educated and motivated others to make similar choices. While the dominant framing was one of individual behavior change, there was some contrasting discourse that framed action as a collective social process or necessary at a more systemic level. We discuss these actions across scales from individual behavior change to collective and system-oriented change in terms of hope, agency, neoliberalism, and justice.

Keywords:

• Action
• climate change
• pro-environmental behavior
• youth
• hope

Acknowledgements

The LOCC program is funded by the National Science Foundation under award DRL-1513320. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. We are also thankful for a grant from the University of Colorado’s Office of Outreach and Engagement to support students’ travel to attend LOCC. We are grateful to Susan Jurow and Erin Furtak for their extensive feedback, mentorship, and support, Lesley Smith and Amanda Morton, and graduate student colleagues and friends in the School of Education. We are very thankful to the students and mentors who participated in the program and the UB program and staff.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL-1513320.

Notes on contributors

Kelsey Tayne

Kelsey Tayne is a doctoral candidate in the School of Education and graduate research assistant at CIRES Education and Outreach at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her primary research focus is on how to design for learning opportunities that support youth in taking action towards more sustainable and just futures.

Megan K. Littrell

Megan K. Littrell is an educational researcher at CIRES Education and Outreach. She holds a doctorate in cognitive psychology from Colorado State University. She has expertise in educational research design, data analysis, and assessment of educational programs’ impacts on student learning.

Christine Okochi

Christine Okochi is a professional research assistant at CIRES Education and Outreach. She holds two masters degrees in education from Teachers College and New York University. She collaborates on educational research and qualitative analysis.

Anne U. Gold

Anne U. Gold is the Director of CIRES Education & Outreach Program and PI of the Lens on Climate Change project. She holds a doctoral degree in Paleoclimatology from the University of Regensburg in Germany. She now focuses on science education and training for educators, students and the general public around climate and general geoscience topics.

Erin Leckey

Erin Leckey is the program manager for the Lens on Climate Change program. She holds a masters in Geology from the University of California and Doctorate in Geology from the University of Colorado Boulder. She uses her background in geology and ecology to engage with communities around local climate effects.