1.

0 PROJECT SUMMARY

The GREEN LEADERS PROJECT is designed against a background of limited meaningful participation and
involvement of young people at Universities in Climate Action programs and the general Climate Crisis
awareness campaign. This is clearly an underutilization of not only their enormous knowledge
development potential but also their transformative social-innovation capacity to mobilize large-scale
awareness, demand government action to tackle the climate crisis, start green businesses, run
educational programs, promote sustainable lifestyles, conserve nature, support renewable energy,
adopt environmentally sustainable practices, and implement adaptation and mitigation projects. ISLAND
OF HOPE UGANDA will respond by facilitating a; cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioral self-directed
learning experience focused on the climate crisis for selected young leaders in Kyambogo and Makerere
Universities located in Kampala District. This project will target leaders of University Associations like
AIESEC in Uganda, Student Guild leadership, students at partner Faculties that are interested in having
Climate Action projects for their final year academic project requirements.

The GREEN LEADERS PROJECT will facilitate this integrated learning experience in a phased format with
specific stages of the project tackling particular dimensions of learning. The project is to stimulate the
competitive nature of young people with having a large number of participants in the first phase of the
project and finally a selected few outstanding GREEN LEADERS in the final phase whose project ideas
will stand a chance to be funded by partners.

The first phase will focus on the cognitive learning dimension through workshops, debates, awareness
campaigns and climaxed by a Climate Action concept pitching competition. The participants are to be
challenged intellectually to understand the climate change phenomenon, appreciate its far reaching
effects and most importantly activate their knowledge development potential to find solutions.

The second phase will be an International Volunteering experience in an East African country of choice
for selected leaders with the best project concepts. This learning experience will focus on the socio-
emotional dimension of learning by building core values and attitudes for sustainability, cultivating
empathy and compassion for other people and planet and stimulate their social innovation capacity.

The final phase of the project is to be an apprenticeship experience with Ugandan host organizations
for selected outstanding GREEN LEADERS. The experience will focus on the behavioral learning
dimension and enable them take practical action for sustainable transformation in the personal, societal
and political spheres. Their individual projects will also stand to be funded by their host organizations.

The first phase will have 1000 participants from the two Universities from which 500 will take part in the
climax concept pitching competition. 100 will be selected for the second phase and finally 50
outstanding Green leaders will participate in the final apprenticeship phase.

PERIOD ACTIVITY YOUTH – MALE YOUTH - FEMALE

PHASE ONE WORKSHOPS, TRAININGS & COMPETITIONS 400 600
PHASE TWO INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEERING OPORTUNITY 40 60
PHASE THREE APPPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITY 20 30
2.0 BACKGROUND
2.1 STRATEGIC BACKGROUND

ISLAND OF HOPE UGANDA as an environmental nonprofit organization that has the following
organizational Strategic objectives:

1. Prioritization of Youth leadership development for effective and sustainable Environmental

governance.

2. Contribution to national and global policy development and implementation on sustainable

Agricultural systems.

3. Optimization of Regenerative Agriculture as a nature based solution for diverse Environmental issues
with specific focus on; Climate Change, Biodiversity loss and unsustainable food systems.

The GREEN LEADERS PROJECT is designed to accelerate the achievement of the high level targets set for
the Education for Sustainable development Program-(ESD). ESD is one of the core programs at Island
of Hope Uganda that embodies strategic Objective Number one-‘Prioritization of Youth Leadership
development for effective and Sustainable Environmental Governance.’

ESD is a lifelong learning process and an integral part of quality education that enhances the cognitive,
social emotional and behavioral dimensions of learning. It is holistic and transformational, and
encompasses learning content and outcomes, pedagogy and the learning environment. ESD is an
integral element of the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals-SDG’s more particularly SDG4-
Quality Education and specifically enables the achievement of SDG target 4.7 that states-
By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable
development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable
lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global
citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development

ESD’s particular emphasis on competencies related to empathy, solidarity and action-taking can help
advance SDG-4 in building a future where education contributes not only to the success of individuals,
but also to the collective survival and prosperity of the global community. It will also help the global
education agenda move away from an exclusive focus on access to quality education measured mainly
in terms of learning outcomes, towards an increased emphasis on learning content and its contribution
to sustainability of people and the planet. In this way ESD connects SDG-4 to all other SDG’s.

The GREEN LEADERS PROJECT is an initiative that through implementation of ESD learning approaches
on students of institutions of higher learning will connect SDG4 to SDG13 and more particularly
accelerate the achievement of SDG TARGET 13.3 that states; ‘By 2030; improve education, awareness-
raising and human institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and
early warning.’
2.2 CONTEXT ANALYSIS

The Education system in Uganda is yet to recover from the Covid-19 Pandemic effects with timelines
disrupted and more virtual spaces replacing the traditional physical approaches for Institutions of higher
learning. The world has learnt to do things differently to make up for the lost time in lockdowns and
restrictions. This predicament has not only affected a specific generation’s learning and Education
timeline but made them more open to change unlike their predecessors. The generation (1997 to 2015)
commonly referred to as GEN-Z -‘Zoomers ’currently makes the majority of students in these institutions
of higher learning. The African Gen-Z members have a more cosmopolitan identity compared to the
millennial cohort since they are more open to many cultures with social media and internet having
enabled them to have access to information in a timely manner. This gives them political awareness at a
relatively young age and gets them more involved in issues like; gender equality and more importantly
climate change. This ‘TikTok’ generation as some people describe it has the unique power to spread
information at a mind-blowing speed and pressure her leaders for Action.

NGO’s, Development Agencies and Civil society organizations have previously focused Climate Change
programs and Education for Sustainable programs in primary and secondary levels of Education
especially due to the relatively uniform learning content for all students at those levels. Post the
Pandemic, most Development Agencies and NGO’s have recognized the latent potential that young
people especially Gen-Z members in institutions of higher learning have to accelerate Climate Action as
stated by UNESCO below.

Its today’s youth and following generations who will be left to face the consequences of unsustainable
development. It is their present and their future at stake. In return, it’s the young people who are
becoming increasingly vocal and active, demanding urgent and decisive change and holding word
leaders accountable, in particular to address the climate crisis. They have, and continue to envision, the
most creative and ingenious solutions to sustainability challenges. In addition, young people are an
important consumer group and the way their consumption patterns evolve will greatly influence the
sustainability trajectory of their countries, Empowering and mobilizing young people of all genders, is a
central part to ESD implementation. UNESCO

Scientists are observing changes across the whole climate system, according to the latest
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report. The report provides new estimates of
chances of crossing the global warming level of 1.5oc in the next decades and finds that unless there is;
immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, limiting warming to close to
1.5oc or even 2oc will be beyond reach.

2030 is the year most organizations have set for Climate Targets to be met and the Pandemic plus other
global crises like Inflation have not made achieving these targets any easier. It would be unwise for the
world to disregard the numerical advantage of this Gen-Z by not empowering them with learning
experiences that would activate their potential to accelerate climate Action. Uganda has an opportunity
to maximize the potential of this cosmopolitan Gen-Z currently at University and reach its Climate
targets.
2.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT

3.3.1 PROBLEM

Limited and insufficient spaces for young people in institutions of higher learning to express and grow
their latent potential to have meaningful participation in Climate Action

2.3.3 FACTORS LEADING TO THE PROBLEM

We are faced with a predicament where the generation of young people in institutions of higher
learning especially Universities are exposed to information through the internet and social media in
relation to global issues more particularly climate change and yet the existing learning environment,
content and opportunities for skills development in their institutions are static and to an extent unable
to harness the latent potential of these young people to create solutions to the climate crisis.

2.3.2 BENEFICICIARIES INVOLVEMENT IN NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS

The GREEN LEADERS project is a global AIESEC project that is developed by young leaders and more
particularly the solutions proposed were raised through a survey presented to young people at a YOUTH
SPEAK FORUM held at Makerere University in 2022. This was followed by other participatory tools that
were used by ISLAND OF HOPE UGANDA to further understand the direct beneficiaries-Young people at
Universities and their capacity and capabilities to bring change.

ISLAND OF HOPE UGANDA being a youth led and youth run Environmental Organization has staff and a
leadership team with an average experience of 10 years in youth leadership and more importantly
participation in climate action projects organized by other organizations. The Education for Sustainable
Development Program under the organization has over the previous four years been a learning
experience for the organization to undergo cycles of reflection and action in regards to Climate Action
projects for young people and attained organization transformation that can contribute to effective
social change.

AIESEC as a core implementation partner is set to align its leadership development Model that it
implements through International internship and volunteering experiences to develop core qualities and
values in young people. These are; Self-awareness, Empowering others, World citizenship and Being
Solution oriented. The organization has a 70 year experience in developing world leaders and a 30 year
experience in developing Ugandan leaders. The core of this project is the 3rd phase of the project which
will focus on sparking the social innovation capacity and empathy of young people through an
international volunteering opportunity. These experiences will be run and facilitated by the direct
beneficiaries of the project.

The clear capacity and experience of these organizations in Youth leadership development and
engagement was leveraged to facilitate a participatory planning process in which young people at
Universities not only co-generated the solutions to the problem stated above but most importantly
participated in defining the problem itself.
 2.4. PROJECT THEORY OF CHANGE.

If we facilitate a participatory 4 week cognitive learning experience on the climate crisis and its effects
for 1000 University students passionate about Climate action, followed by 100 selected outstanding
participants undertaking a facilitator role on a socio-emotional dimension learning experience through
an 8 week international volunteering opportunity, these beneficiaries will undergo a transformation as
they build their self-awareness, creativity and deeper connection to the values of love for people and
planet through reflective practice and thus this personal change ultimately translating into collective
development inform of acceleration of climate action as the final 50 distinctive GREEN LEADERS take on
a 12 week apprenticeship role in institutions, organizations and companies that have their focus or CSR
activities on mitigation and adaptation.

COGNITIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE ON THE

CLIMATE CRISIS
SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING
 Facilitating workshops EXPEREINECE THROUGH AN
 Climate Action Idea competition INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP
 Debates
 Awareness campaigns #100 PARTICIPANTS FOR 8
#1000 PARTICIPANTS FOR 4 WEEKS WEEKS

ACCELERATION OF CLIMATE
ACTION BEHAVIORAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE
THROUGH A LOCAL APPRENTICESHIP
Through; Knowledge creation,
#50 PARTICIPANTS FOR 12 WEEKS
research and design of new
climate solutions, increased
capabilities for large scale
climate campaigns, by the
empowered YOUTH –‘THE
GREEN LEADERS’
3.0 PROJECT DETAILS

3.1 PROJECT IMPACT

Contribution to acceleration of climate Action by young people at Universities through; stimulation and
agitation for efficient governance systems and policy mechanisms in relation to climate Action,
behavioral change in terms of consumer choices due to effective mass campaigns and most importantly
knowledge creation through participatory research on mitigation solutions and design of adaptation
solutions for the raging effects of the climate crisis.

3.2. PROJECT MAIN OBJECTIVE

To develop young Climate Action Leaders at Universities by facilitating a transformational, self-

directed learning experience on the Climate crisis and its effects.

3.3 PROJECT SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

o To facilitate and manage a cognitive learning process on Climate Change and Climate Action
for 1000 University students and recent graduates from Makerere and Kyambogo
Universities.

o To provide a platform for 500 University students from Kyambogo and Makerere Universities
to develop and pitch Climate Action project and Initiative concepts as part of their Academic
requirements.

o To facilitate a socio-emotional learning experience through an international volunteering

opportunity (within East Africa) for 100 selected students with the best project or initiative
concepts.

o To foster a behavioral learning experience for 50 students with outstanding Climate Action
Projects and initiatives through a local apprenticeship program
 3.4 PROJECT FRAMEWORK
Project Outcomes
1. Young leaders understand the
Climate Change Phenomenon and
have acquired the basic information
at comprehension level of learning.
They have been challenged to
express their opinion on ongoing
climate Action programs and have
also learnt how to learn and are
creative with a strong sense of self-
efficacy.
Outputs
1.1.1. 1000 Young leaders have
participated in facilitated group
conversations on the climate crisis
inform of workshops, debates,
roundtable discussions and novel
virtual self-directed learning
spaces.
1.1.2. 10 workshop sessions of 100
participants each have been
facilitated with participants
discussing general basic
concepts on climate change
phenomenon and its effects
1.2.1 1000 Young leaders have had
physical practical sessions to
comprehend the basic scientific facts
on the greenhouse effect.
1.2.2 10 practical demonstration
sessions with 100 participants each on
the greenhouse effect have been
organized and delivered
1.2.3 1000 young leaders have
calculated their carbon footprint and
understand the butterfly effect
Activities
1.1. Facilitating workshops on
the climate crisis at
Kyambogo and Makerere
Universities. The workshops
are to take different
formats and approaches to
enhance expression of
participants understanding
of the Climate Change
Phenomenon thus inducing
participation and collective
learning.
1.2. Conduct practical
demonstration sessions on
the greenhouse effect and
thus discuss and calculate
their individual carbon
footprint and the butterfly
effect.

2. The participants can utilize the
information received to create new
knowledge on adaptation and
mitigation solutions leveraging on
their academic status. They have
been empowered to imagine a
different world through learning and
reflective participatory practices. The
participants can also use others and
their own experiences and internal
processes such as reflection,
environmental scanning, and
interaction with others to develop
proactive as well as problem solving
behaviors.
1.3.1 1000 Young Leaders have
participated in a facilitated discussion on
Global Climate targets and ongoing
mitigation and adaptation projects
1.3.2 10 workshop sessions of 100
participants each have been facilitated
on the Global Climate Agenda and
Uganda’s climate targets.
2.1.1. 500 exceptional young leaders
undergo training on ideation and
concept pitching.
2.1.2. 10 sessions of 50 participants
each are delivered on Ideation
and concept pitching
2.2.1 500 participants present their
climate Change Mitigation and
Adaptation ideas
2.2.2 10 presentation spaces are
prepared in Kyambogo and Makerere
Universities to host 50 participants
each
2.2.3 The panel of experts selects 100
outstanding participants to proceed to
the next phase of the project.
1.3. Facilitate Workshops on the
Global Climate Agenda and
more particularly Uganda’s
Climate Targets. These
spaces are to enable young
leaders get to speed with
reality in regards to Climate
Action
2.1. Facilitate workshops on basic
research, ideation concept
pitching for interested
participants to enable them
formulate their Climate Action
concepts and present them.
2.2. Organize and run a Climate
Action ideas competition in
Kyambogo and Makerere
Universities.

3. The Participants have developed
capacity to relate, analyze and
synthesize how the Climate crisis
affects real life experiences and how
different countries approach
mitigation and adaption. They are
world citizens that are more self-
aware, can empower others and
more solution oriented. They have
developed empathy for people and
planet and their socio-innovative
capacity sparked through reflective
practice.
2.3.1. The 100 outstanding ideas are
presented to a physical audience
of 1000 people.
2.3.2. A Virtual Audience of 10,000
people is reached for awareness
creation
2.3.3. 50 of the outstanding 100
concepts are taken up as
academic research projects for
students at partner faculties.
2.3.4. The selected 100 participants are
awarded a volunteering
opportunity in an East African
country of their choice.
3.1.1 100 Participants undergo training 3.1 Organize and deliver facilitator
on facilitation of Participatory Methods.
3.1.2 2 sessions of 50 participants each
are prepared and delivered.
3.1.3 2 Sessions of outgoing preparation
seminars are organized and delivered for
100 participants
3.1.4 100 participants participate in an
outgoing preparation seminar, select their have Outgoing Preparation
host country, set their volunteering goals
and are ready to travel for the experience. Leadership Development Model
3.2.1 100 participants attend Incoming
Preparation seminars in their respective
host countries.
3.2.2 100 participants understand their
respective Job descriptions and have
aligned their individual goals to host
organizations strategic objectives in
regards to Climate Action.
2.3. Organize a winner’s
presentation climax event for
both Universities where the
selected 100 exceptional
participants showcase their
concepts and some academic
research proposals to an
audience both virtually and
physically.
training camps where the 100
participants are equipped with
knowledge and special skills on
Participatory Methods. These skills
are to enable them create
productive knowledge co-
generation spaces with project
beneficiaries in their respective
host countries. These camps are to
seminars to Introduce the AIESEC
and enable participants set goals
for their forthcoming Volunteering
experiences.
3.2 Organize and deliver incoming
preparation seminars in the
respective host countries in
collaboration with AIESEC.
Introduce the participants to their
host organizations, clarify Job
Descriptions and most importantly
understand the Climate effects and
challenges to be solved.

3.3.1 100 young Ugandan leaders have
facilitated workshops with host
organizations in their host countries on
the climate Crisis.
3.3.2 100 Ugandan young leaders have
run social media campaigns with records
of their weekly experiences as they
implement Climate Action projects in their
respective Host Countries in East Africa.
3.3.2 50 volunteers have conducted
academic research on climate issues
alongside their volunteering experiences.
3.3.3 100 Ugandan young leaders have
completed their 6 week volunteering
experiences in their respective host
countries around East Africa and travel
back to Uganda with well documented
reports.
3.3 Coordinate and manage the
International volunteering
experiences of the 100 participant
by tracking and monitoring to
ensure the preset learning
objectives are achieved. Focus to be
on the Leadership Qualities and
their facilitation skills to enable
understanding of the climate crisis
effects in their host countries, and
most importantly enable co-
generation of knowledge with
respective beneficiaries to find
solutions to the diverse climate
related issues. The volunteers are
to use digital tools and social media
to record their experiences, run
awareness campaigns, discuss
Climate targets in their host
countries, climate policy
frameworks and governance
systems and influence their fellow
young people in their host
countries to accelerate Climate
Action.

4. The final participants have been
transformed into competent leaders
of change with a realistic and feasible
approach to mitigation and
adaptation Actions. They understand
the bottlenecks in existing NGO
programs, Green Businesses and
most importantly governance
systems and policy mechanisms that
require systemic changes or agitation
and pressure from young people for
National Climate goals to be timely
achieved. These final Green Leaders
will not only have understood the
3.4.1 100 young leaders have completed
reintegration seminars upon return to
Uganda.
3.4.2 100 young leaders have completed a
Leadership assessment and evaluation by
AIESEC Uganda.
3.4.3 50 final participants have been
selected and allocated to particular
Ugandan host organizations for an
apprenticeship opportunity.
4.1.1 50 participants have completed the
orientation process and have clear
objectives for personal development as
well as their organizational tasks.
4.1.2 50 participants have effectively
completed their host organizational tasks
and have positively contributed to
evolution of their host organizational
processes in regards to Climate Action
projects.
4.1.3 Beneficiaries in Climate Action
projects run by host organizations are
3.4 Organize and manage the Re-
Integration process of the returning
volunteers through hosting
seminars for the returning 100
young leaders from their respective
volunteering experiences in host
countries.
The individuals are to share
learning experiences and take
assessment tests in regards to the
AIESEC leadership development
Model. The participants are to also
present findings in regards to
Climate Action approaches of their
different host countries and be
guided to reassess and improve
their previously presented Climate
Action concepts (In Phase 1) given
their newly acquired skills and
knowledge.
The participants will finally be
evaluated and the exceptional final
50 project participants selected for
the next phase of the project during
these seminars.
4.1 Organize and manage the
apprenticeship experience for the
50 participants by setting up
Orientation and introduction
sessions for the respective
participants with their respective
organizations and creating and
implementing a weekly evaluation
system for their apprenticeship
experience. The participants are to
be evaluated in terms of level of
understanding of their respective
host organizational strategic
objectives and climate Action
reality in Climate Action programs
but will have opened up realms of
the possible in personal, societal and
political spheres.
empowered by the Participatory process
with their opinion is valued.
4.2.1 A weekly Twitter discussion is run
on pertinent issues on Climate change
effects and government policy in relation
to the Climate crisis with a 1000 people
virtual audience and the 50 apprentices
sharing real-time experiences in Climate
Action projects.
4.2.2 A weekly Linked-In discussion is run
where the apprentices share their work
experience in Climate Action Projects in a
move to promote Green careers
4.2.3 500 videos are uploaded by the 50
apprentices on diverse matters concerning
Climate Action depending on the activities
run by their host organization. These are
to enable showcasing of the real local
effects of the crisis and ingenious
solutions young people have created.
4.2.4 10 Facebook groups and pages that
coordinate 1000 Climate action young
people and create spaces for the
community to share knowledge and
programs. Participatory Learning
and action is to be the focus
process of the daily experiences as
the 50 apprentices execute their
work in the respective host
organizations. These participatory
processes that the apprentices
were introduced to in their
previous international volunteering
experiences should enable them
facilitate a process that improves
host organization’s Climate Action
project implementation and
ultimately the host organizations
evolve as well.
4.2 Coordinate, create platforms
and enable participants to
maximize the information
technology trends and social media
to communicate and create
awareness on the Climate Crisis
through sharing their
apprenticeship experiences.
Twitter discussions on climate
change effects and effectiveness of
existing government and civil
society adaptation and mitigation
programs, Linked In discussions on
green jobs and Climate action
experience sharing of participants,
YouTube visual and contextual
evidence presentation that
challenges existing assumptions on
Climate Change effects and
showcases young people’s
contribution to Climate Action,
Network fostering and connection
building through Facebook posts
and creation of Climate Action
experiences.
4.3.1 25 academic research projects on
Climate Action are commenced and
completed by the participants from
partner university faculties.
4.3.2 25 Climate Action projects are
presented by the apprentices to partners
for funding.
virtual communities
4.3 Facilitate useful research and
Analysis in the area of Climate
Action by the participants under
the guidance of expert
professionals that work for their
host organizations. The apprentices
are to re-evaluate their climate
Action concepts presented in
earlier stages of the project and
either improve them or pick up new
issues to focus on that stand a
chance to be funded by partners.
The Objective of this research and
analysis is to be focused on Policy
effectiveness and knowledge
creation in terms of understanding
the climate crisis in the Ugandan
context and local finding solutions
to local climate related issues.
The Green Leaders are to harness
information technology and social
media as participatory research
tools to collect information from
people affected by the crisis
especially marginalized and
disenfranchised communities. The
apprentice’s previous international
volunteering experience is to be
leveraged on to enhance creation
of transnational knowledge
networks given that the climate
crisis is a global crisis whose effects
cross national boundaries and thus
demand new ways of creating,
sharing and using knowledge