Press release

Transforming Education Through Art and Environmental Activism: Open-Source Curriculum Now Available

DATELINE—A groundbreaking education guide, Youth Art for the Earth: A Creative Guide to Environmental Education and Activism, has been released, offering educators free, open-source tools to inspire young people to address ecological challenges through art and activism. Created by educator Aleksandar Weisner, the curriculum blends street art, multimedia resources, and interactive workshops to foster critical thinking, creativity, and active citizenship.

The guide is the culmination of Youth Art for the Earth (YAFE), a collaborative initiative of cultural organisations across Europe empowering young people to express messages of social responsibility and environmental sustainability. Over 2023 and 2024, 120 students participated in artist-led workshops across France, Serbia, and Slovenia, exploring local sustainability challenges and climate change concerns. Their efforts culminated in the creation of six impactful murals and the development of a curriculum to educate young people about environmental sustainability.

Download the Curriculum here.

"We wanted the students to think abstractly about the future of their environment," said Mr Weisner. "The resulting mural reflects their vision of a cleaner, greener world, where local ecosystems thrive and the community embraces sustainable practices."

"Youth Art for the Earth has been a remarkable journey of creativity, learning, and collaboration," said Nebojša Glišić, YAFE Project Coordinator on behalf of lead partner Fund B92. "We engaged 120 young people across three countries to explore the vital intersections of art and environmental activism, and we’ve transformed urban spaces into vibrant expressions of hope and change."

**Reimagining Cities Through Art and Advocacy**

Over the past two years, YAFE has left a legacy of six murals across three countries, combining environmental education and public art to create vibrant expressions of hope and change. Spearheaded by Serbian humanitarian and educational non-profit Fund B92, and co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, the project also produced a documentary film, Dreaming of a Greener Future: One Wall at a Time.

A trailer for the film was released ahead of submissions to international festivals, capturing the creative process and the impact of YAFE’s workshops and murals.

Maziar Bahari, founder of the Paint the Change street art and social change charity, which supported the project, said: "Young people understand issues much better in art workshops than in reading books or simply listening to their teachers. Drawing, painting, and sketching ideas that become large murals and landmarks in their neighbourhoods, give young people a sense of agency and ownership, and motivates them to be more proactive."\

Highlights of YAFE’s Murals and Workshops

Bor & Pančevo, Serbia: Envisioning a Sustainable Future

Students at Bor Technical School collaborated with artist Maja Stojanović Zmaja to create a mural addressing recycling and species protection. The workshops challenged students to imagine their city 50 years into the future.

"After this workshop, I’m much more aware of how much we’re harming our planet. I knew it was bad, but I thought I had no influence. Now, I realize that I do have a voice, and every voice is important," said participant Sara Jovanović in Pančevo.

Maribor & Ljubljana, Slovenia: Artistic Responses to Ecological Crises

In Maribor, students celebrated biodiversity with the mural Birds from the Island, while those in Ljubljana collaborated with artists Fedja Šičarov and Paolo Spinazzé on a project using sustainable materials.

“These events highlight the urgency of addressing climate change and protecting our natural world,” Šičarov said.

**Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, France: A Celebration of Diversity**

Students from Joséphine Baker Middle School worked with illustrator Elsa Martino and climate trainer Chloé Chesnau to create a vibrant mural reflecting the universal impact of climate change and the importance of collective action.

**Montargis, France: Changing Habits for a Healthier Environment**

In Montargis, students tackled air pollution with street artist Atma, creating a mural near a major highway to emphasize the importance of clean air and eco-friendly habits.

"Art has shown me the power of conveying messages. Workshops like this are invaluable for spreading awareness," said Liaam, a student at the school.

Join the Movement

The open-source guide, Youth Art for the Earth: A Creative Guide to Environmental Education and Activism, is now available for download. Educators and organizations are encouraged to explore its resources to inspire young people worldwide.

Keep scrolling to view the full media kit

Visit paintthechange.me for examples of past projects and multimedia content, or reach out to collaborate at be@paintthechange.me.

Co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

Contacts:

International: Risham Wasseem, Paint the Change, London UK

risham@paintthechange.me, +‭92 3454128519 ( Available on Whatsapp)

Serbia: Marija Čečen, Director, Fund B92, Belgrade, Serbia

maja.cecen@fondb92.org, ‭+381 60 4050 484‬

France: Matt Dufour, Artist and Creative Lead, Paint the Change, France

atma.creation@gmail.com, +44 7454443451

Karolina Lukomski, Project Manager, Urban Art Crew

karolina@urban-art-agency.com, +33 6 77 31 14 59

Slovenia: Anita Hrast, Director, IRDO, Ljubljana Slovenia

anita.hrast@irdo.si, +386 31 344 883

Youth Art for the Earth is a collaboration of cultural organisations across Europe empowering young people to express messages of social responsibility and environmental sustainability. Over 2023 and 2024, 120 students participated in artist-led workshops across France, Serbia, and Slovenia, exploring local sustainability challenges and climate change concerns. Their efforts culminated in the creation of six impactful murals and the development of a curriculum to educate young people about environmental sustainability.

Our activities took place in France, Serbia and Slovenia through a partnership of diverse cultural organisations (please see details below). We have documented the workshops and mural painting in 12 short films. A short documentary telling the story of the project entitled "Dreaming of a Greener Future: One Wall at a Time" will be released in the new year, following festival participation. Its trailer is available to view here.

The project developed a teaching guide and curriculum to empower young people (15-18) to tackle ecological challenges creatively through a dynamic environmental education program featuring multimedia tools, street art, and adaptable resources—perfect for educators and youth leaders! The English version of the guide is available, with Serbian, Slovenian and French language versions to follow shortly.

A short documentary telling the story of the project entitled "Dreaming of a Greener Future: One Wall at a Time" will be released in the new year, following festival participation. Its trailer is available to view here.

Partners:

Lead partner: Fund B92, Serbia, a non-profit non-governmental organisation leading creative, cultural and philanthropic campaigns to effect positive social change. Established in 2004, the Fund has continued the B92 mission of promoting a decent, responsible and fair society in Serbia and the wider region. Fund B92 was the project lead for YAFE and was responsible for the workshops and murals in the cities of Bor and Pančevo as well as for taking the lead in the curriculum development on environmental sustainability which was a key deliverable of this project.

France: Nobulo and Urban Art Crew, have a mission to promote international culture and art, with a special focus on street art. Facilitating international and cross-cultural collaborations they have moved and promoted urban artists around the world since 2007. They were responsible for conducting the workshops and developing the murals in Montargis and Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine.

Slovenia: IRDO, the Institute for the Development of Social Responsibility, Slovenia, has focused on research and accelerating the development of social responsibility in Slovenia and beyond since 2004. IRDO provides a hub for key activists in this field, whether in government, business, or other organisations, and coordinates awareness-raising activities. They were responsible for conducting the workshops and developing the murals in Ljubljana and Maribor.