Future Rising: Girls' Education and Climate Change

In April 2021, we launched Future Rising, our new storytelling and educational program focused on the links between girls’ education and climate change. Our goal is to tell stories that illuminate the experiences of girls and women — stories about the disproportionate impact, and critically the stories of girls who are exercising their power to tackle the effects of climate change. 

We had originally considered making a feature film, but two things altered our thinking. First, we understand the urgency of this conversation — it is happening now. The two years it would take to create the film would put a significant delay in the imperative to make known the links between girls’ education and climate change. Secondly, we have been researching and considering the ways people consume content today. The cultural landscape has evolved greatly especially over the last few years, which is why we are working on a strategy that ‘atomizes’ our storytelling - editing films and stories into smaller components and optimizing them for various digital platforms. We want to surface a flow of powerful narratives and present them to the cultural slipstream. 

One of our initiatives under the Future Rising program is our Future Rising Fellows. The Future Rising Fellowship is a six-month fellowship for individuals aged 17-24 who are working on environmental justice storytelling and/or activism with a focus on girls and women. Our goal is to support this cohort with resources, mentoring, and network development. Each Fellow will be paired up with a mentor and realize their project in the span of the fellowship. 

The Fellowship received over 200 applicants from 37 countries, showing depth and range of talent from individuals who are executing such creative leadership in addressing climate change. After careful consideration, we are so excited to announce that we have finalized our inaugural cohort of Future Rising Fellows — 11 incredible individuals who have vastly different experiences and share many things in common, including a profound commitment to girls' education and to forging pathways to a more sustainable and equitable future. The fellowship will begin mid-August and we look forward to sharing more updates with you in the coming months. 

Links:

• Future Rising Main Page
• Educate Girls, Protect Our World