Young advocates aged 8 to 14 gathered at the Faculty of Biological Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), to participate in Nigeria's inaugural Environmental Etiquette Conference for Kids.
Organised to commemorate World Environment Day, the intensive, all-day event equipped young minds with practical climate literacy and daily sustainable habits required to combat global warming, reduce carbon emissions, and end plastic pollution. The student delegation comprised pupils from Dominion Covenant Academy, GoodNews Seed International School, and PASMAC Montessori School. There were also independent young advocates.
After the participants learned the theme song and dance, the conference commenced with a compelling keynote address by 9-year-old Dawn Buari, the founder of the Environmental Etiquette Club for Kids. Having recently completed the UN PRME COP30 Student Initiative, Dawn translated complex global climate policies into actionable, child-friendly civic duties. He emphasised that maintaining environmental balance begins with basic social discipline, such as rejecting littering and consciously managing waste.
Ocean Cleanup Session with a book reading
The conference focused heavily on experiential learning through two interactive workshop tracks. During the Plastic Recycling Masterclass, facilitated by guests Akinola Ayomide and Dike Christopher under the French Embassy Fund project, children learned the art of waste sorting and discovered how to see possibilities in discarded plastic. During the Ocean Cleanup Simulation, participants engaged in a practical marine conservation exercise centered around a live reading of the book "Sparkles in the Ocean: Thanks to you and me" by a young author, Ademurewa Adesokan. The book reading session was done by a pool (the ocean), surrounded by all the participants. After the book reading session, there was a musical performance with a guitar and a violin being played alongside a song about a duck that lost her way in the ocean on her way to her friend's party because of dirt in the ocean. This emphasizes the need for ocean cleanup and the preservation of the social life of aquatic animals.
To illustrate the realities of greenhouse gas emissions, the children directly interacted with live, costumed educational characters, including Captain Ozone Layer, Mr. Carbon, and Dr. Oxygen. A major highlight of the day occurred when the children gathered to celebrate the Ozone Layer’s 600 Millionth Birthday, a creative demonstration that helped students visualize the precise atmospheric balance required to keep planet Earth habitable. Furthermore, there was a 'Movie Time' where all participants saw Mr. Carbondioxide, a wealthy businessman with so many factories, changing his mind about being hated by all, knowing that he was very important.
The interactive approach left a strong impression on the young participants, highlighting how quickly children can absorb complex scientific themes when taught through relatable methods. "I didn't know the Ozone layer was that old! I also learned that we actually still need carbon on Earth, but we just need it to be perfectly balanced so it doesn't cause harm by polluting everywhere," an attending pupil shared the key lesson from the event.
The parents of the founder, Mr. Jide Buari and Salome Olajide-Buari, were present at the event to support and oversee the conference. The Environmental Etiquette Club for Kids is an educational movement bridging early-years character development with green science. The club looks forward to securing partnerships from organisations and individuals interested in getting the younger generation to become more environmentally responsible. It already has innovations such as the Environmental Etiquette Magazine and the Environmental Etiquette Board, a hands-on kit to teach children how to build their own Climate-friendly model houses. By deploying hands-on STEM kits and child-friendly climate literature, the club raises environmentally conscious African citizens capable of driving local ecological solutions.
Comments
Add a comment