Dirt is Good Project - Chile’s Changemakers
Over the next five to ten years, the Persil Dirt Is Good Project aims to empower 10 million young changemakers around the world to take positive action for a better planet. With the UK programme launched and running, it is exciting to see countries including Chile and Thailand about to launch their programmes, with other (not yet announced) countries also set to launch later in 2022.
Our brilliant delivery partners lead the way in their respective countries, recruiting, supporting and guiding schools and young people through the programme. They also adapt the Dirt Is Good Project’s methodology so that it is locally relevant, while ensuring the Dirt Is Good Way (including Getting Stuck In and feeling United In Compassion) underpin everything they do.
Kyklos are the national delivery partner of the Dirt Is Good Schools Programme in Chile, South America, supported by Omo (Unilever’s partner for the programme in Chile). Kyklos work for and with young people across the country, with the aim of promoting positive social and environmental culture. We spoke to Dirt Is Good programme delivery staff, Paula Peters and Constanza Carmi, about their pilot, what drew them to the programme, and how their work resonates with the Dirt Is Good ethos.
Kyklos were drawn to the Dirt Is Good Project as the possibility to help young people become ‘Changemakers’ was an exciting and challenging new endeavour, and meant adding an extra dimension to our 10 years’ experience working with schools. It fully resonates with our purpose, because the work we do invites young people to live in harmony with the environment and their communities.
Learning about the values-perception gap research in young people was a kind of confirmation of what we’d seen in the schools we’ve worked with: where teenagers stop involving themselves in environmental issues or sharing their values because of ‘self-inflicted’ peer pressure. Closing this gap and encouraging them to take action means young people feel empowered and part of something, allowing them to be an active member of their community and take care of it.
We’re currently 3 months into our pilot and we’re really enjoying seeing the communication between schools about their projects and how they have done it – and of course, seeing young people enjoy so much of the programme! Students have cleaned wetlands near their school, made greenhouses, planted medicinal seeds, developed green areas for their school backyard, interviewed their peers, teachers and directives about issues faced during the pandemic, created informational posters, as well as so many other awareness projects. Next year they want to look at more social projects such as combating bullying in the classroom, volunteering in a nursing home, making shelter for pets, and working on racism, gender and feminism issues and mental health. The students now feel more powerful and capable of changing things in their environment and community.
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We’ve also enjoyed the contact we’ve had with the Dirt Is Good team, who’ve supported us along the way. It’s been a great experience, and they always provide constructive and positive support.
Looking ahead, we would like to have more young people developing Dirt Is Good projects in their communities, and make the schools programme a periodic project in Chilean schools, to see how young people’s projects and their values evolve. We hope that young people who have been part of the Dirt Is Good Schools Programme will continue to be Changemakers and start applying their knowledge, passion and practical skills in their communities.
These pilots are a valuable opportunity to test the programme, learn, and refine the methodology and materials to best prepare for rollout across the world in the coming years. One of the other exciting things about this kind of international programmes is seeing it evolve over time as our delivery partners share their successes, highlights and challenges, and come together as one big international team driving the programme forward.