The aim of Odyssey 2050 is to motivate young people all over the world to take action on climate change, but millions of young people do not have access to things most of us take for granted like electricity, computers and DVD players. A comic book version of Odyssey 2050 will enable kids in areas of limited technology and financial resources to be introduced to the project and have fun while they learn about climate change and the need to take action on it.
We are piloting the comic book in an area of the world that has in most ways been left behind by technological developments, so the comic will be distributed to schools in the most remote part of Latin America’s poorest country, Nicaragua. The Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua is a beautiful and culturally rich part of Nicaragua but its lacks most basic services and has endured decades of government neglect. The Caribbean Coast Catholic Church coordinators that run schools for 17,000 young Nicaraguans in the Caribbean Coast region has partnered with Odyssey 2050 to ensure that the comics will be used well by the schools in order to compliment existing environmental education programmes.
Odyssey 2050 staff recently gave an introductory workshop on the project in Managua to 60 Caribbean Coast school coordinators who have since been introducing the Odyssey 2050 project into the schools. The comic book will make its debut in Nicaragua in February 2012. We hope this pilot comic project will lead to other countries adopting the concept so that thousands more kids around the world will have the opportunity to experience the fun and inspiration this project provides.
