Fort Worth Museum of Science and History Selected by the Smithsonian Institution to Host Teen Video Competition

Fort Worth, TX (August 31, 2020) — The Research and Learning Center at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History was chosen to work with local teens to produce videos about their physical or social environments. Teens will have guidance in their projects from the Smithsonian Institution and local mentors. Given the complexity of issues that have arisen this year, videos may relate to any of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. These 17 interconnected goals serve as a blueprint to achieve a more sustainable future for all. For example, the teens’ observations might be about cleaner air or an increase in home gardening. Their ideas for action may also be about mental health, or how to mitigate various inequalities because of the pandemic economy. Teens will share their ideas for how they will extend positive change into the future via two-minute videos to be entered into a global competition this Fall. Winning videos will be featured through the Smithsonian’s Earth Optimism initiative website and social media platforms.

“We are looking for young people in our community who are going to be changemakers,” said Denise Wilkerson, the director of development at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. “If you are a young person who wants to make a difference locally or globally, you should be participating in this contest!”

An Affiliate of the Smithsonian since 2012, the Fort Worth Museum was selected as one of only nine partners nationwide for the project, out of 210 Smithsonian Affiliates. One of the benefits of affiliation is the opportunity to collaborate with the Smithsonian Institution on educational projects like this one.

“Young people around the world are discovering the power of short film to tell their stories, inspire hope and action in others, and connect with a global community of change agents to create a greener and healthier planet,” said Jennifer Brundage and Brian Coyle, the project’s directors at the Smithsonian Institution. “Teens are uniquely positioned to be leaders in environmental action given the threats to their future and their intrepid and optimistic approach to problem-solving. We are excited to collaborate with Affiliate partners to build this critical communication skill for the next generation of environmental leaders.”

The Teen Videos project is part of the Smithsonian’s Earth Optimism initiative.  The initiative is dedicated to sharing stories of small- and large-scale successful actions that can be replicated. This project is part of a nationwide outreach effort to cultivate teen leaders around issues impacting the environment and is supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Women’s Committee. If you are interested in learning more about the initiative or registering for the competition, please visit: https://www.fwmuseum.org/teen-videos/.
About Smithsonian Affiliations

Smithsonian Affiliations develops long term partnerships with museums and educational organizations to make the Institution’s collections, scholars, and resources widely available. The Smithsonian Affiliate network of more than 200 organizations collaborates with the Smithsonian – and with each other – to create experiences that educate and inspire millions of guests each year in their own neighborhoods. For more information, visit affiliations.si.edu.

About Earth Optimism

Earth Optimism is a vision, an event, and a movement to shift the conservation conversation from one of doom and gloom to hope and optimism. The global conservation movement has reached a turning point. We have documented the fast pace of habitat loss, the growing number of endangered and extinct species, and the increasing speed of global climate change. Yet while the seriousness of these threats cannot be denied, there are a growing number of examples of improvements in the health of species and ecosystems, along with benefits to human well-being, thanks to our conservation actions. Earth Optimism celebrates a change in focus from problem to solution, from a sense of loss to one of hope, in the dialogue about conservation and sustainability. For more information, visit EarthOptimism.si.edu.