GUIDED BY LIGHT:
EMPOWERING YOUNG MINDS TO PROTECT NATURE

Light plays an essential role in our understanding of the universe. Beyond its physical meaning, throughout history, it has symbolized hope in darkness, clarity in confusion, and truth in uncertainty. It is inevitably associated with education, as just like light illuminates a dark room, knowledge and education can enlighten minds, thus becoming a fundamental force in our human world.
In these fast-paced and hyper-stimulated times, educators continually seek to innovate and update their methods to adapt to a constantly evolving world. And what better if these new methods challenge students to think critically, question, collaborate, and generate new ideas, allowing them to explore their environment more consciously and reflectively.
At the end of 2022, the AGA Educational Program incorporated the art of photography as an innovative medium in education. This was achieved through a partnership with the Niños Reporteros (Kids Reporters) project from LATINPHOTO.org. Under the masterful direction of Silvina Enrietti, also known as “Nil”, the exercise proposed was learning to think about nature and environmental care from the perspective of the photographer who creates reports as a protagonist, not as a witness. The children, then, assume a leading role in their educational process through the narration of their experiences.
Throughout 2023, together with the educational community of School No. 131 in Lagunillas del Farallón, in the Province of Jujuy, Argentina, a special plan was implemented where activities were co-created, successfully developing fun, enriching, and at the same time challenging activities. By the end of the year, we faced what was, for us, a significant challenge: organizing an outdoor activity with more than 40 children ranging in age from 6 to 12 years old. We were concerned about group management, ensuring that all children felt supported during the activity and, most importantly, that they had fun in contact with nature. As the activity began and we saw the image of more than 40 children running toward the lagoon near the town, we felt overwhelmed, but something extraordinary happened upon arrival. The children organized themselves into groups and began observing every tiny detail of the ecosystem we were in. Watching them be amazed by each minute detail—from an insect to the bird nests near the lagoon—filled us with joy, and from that moment on, everything was enjoyable and learning.
In this way, a new way of caring for the Andean Cat, the soul of the Andes, and with it, the entire environment that shelters us is being built. In the future, Kids reporters will have enhanced perceptions and abilities, becoming the beacon that guides our society in times of uncertainty.
If you want to take a look at the beautiful activities developed in this project throughout the year, we invite you to see the book in the following link or watch the following video:
If you want to learn more about the Child Reporters project, here is the complete information in English and Spanish:
https://www.latinphoto.org/MES/ninosreporteros.html
https://www.latinphoto.org/MES/ninosreporteros_en.html

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