Partially supported by a NULab Community Collaboration Grant.
The Human-Environment Digital Narratives initiative seeks to integrate digital competencies into environmental education and sustainable development through active collaboration with community members. It aims to organize training workshops designed to equip participants with the skills needed to create and disseminate digital narratives that explore human-environment interactions. A primary outcome of the initiative is the establishment of a comprehensive database of digital narratives contributed by workshop attendees and volunteers. This database will serve as a valuable resource for researchers, educators, and the public, offering access to diverse, data-driven stories that illuminate sustainability challenges and successes.
Employing a transdisciplinary approach, the initiative leverages digital technologies to examine the intricate dynamics of society, ecology, economy, and governance, with a focus on countries in the Global South. While the digital revolution offers significant opportunities in these regions, there remains a critical gap in knowledge and skills related to innovative digital tools and methodologies. The initiative addresses this gap by conducting a series of workshops where participants and volunteers are trained to observe, document, analyze, and narrate human-environment interactions. They also learn to assess both positive and negative changes and create compelling digital stories for online sharing. This training not only enhances participants’ career prospects but also empowers them to contribute to environmental research and advocacy, fostering the growth of a citizen science and crowdsourcing network.
With the generous support of NULab through its Community Collaboration Grant, the initiative was piloted in partnership with the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) and its CEE Academy, a renowned nonprofit organization specializing in environmental education and sustainable development in India. The pilot project aimed to demonstrate the potential of web-based tools such as StoryMap and Timeline for effectively integrating spatial and temporal data into compelling narratives.
As part of the pilot, digital storytelling modules were developed and disseminated during an intensive two-day training workshop. Participants used this opportunity to transform their ideas and projects into dynamic digital narratives. The inaugural workshop, held on June 21–22, 2024, brought together twenty-five college students, educators, and professionals from civil society, fostering collaboration and creativity in exploring innovative approaches to environmental storytelling.
Project Team
Principal Investigator
- Vaishali Kushwaha, PhD Candidate, Public Policy, CSSH
Community Partnership Lead
- Madhavi Joshi, Director, CEE Academy
- Gayatri Dave, Program Coordinator, School and Youth Programs, CEE
Publications
You can explore the full research project, including participants’ StoryMap and Timeline projects, here: Human-Environment Digital Narratives.
