Making an Impact!
In April 2017, Tribes on the Edge team members began bringing their expertise, experiences, and passion to students around the world through online video platforms. The filmmaking team shared stories about the lives of the Indigenous Peoples from the Vale do Javari Indigenous territory in the Brazilian Amazon with an international audience of teachers, librarians, and students. That same year in honor of Earth Day, Tribes on the Edge partnered with various organizations to raise awareness on topics including Indigenous rights, health, and environmental protection in the Amazon. Amongst many other events, Céline Cousteau hosted a special online session for the Climate Action Project, an international project created by educator and author Koen Timmers that aims to increase student awareness and action with regard to climate change.
By early 2021, the Tribes on the Edge team members hosted live sessions for over 31,000 students from 45 countries around the world and 26 states in the U.S.
Céline has now partnered with the College of William & Mary’s Institute for Integrative Conservation (IIC) to create an educational program inspired and informed by Tribes on the Edge. Designed for 9-12 year olds, students will explore their interconnectedness with the environment and global community through an exploration of the perspectives, culture, and knowledge of the Marúbo tribe of the Brazilian Amazon. The program is founded on project-based learning, visual storytelling, and empathy to bridge cultural and learning gaps, and to deepen students’ understanding of the interconnectedness of people and the environment.
“Youth are not only future leaders, they are the hope of today.”
— Céline Cousteau