Adults often ponder how to engage the youth in creative and critical activities, steering them away from spending excessive time on computer games. However, they are careful not to suggest activities that are too far removed from the younger generation's current interests.
A few months ago, while I was in Canada sorting items for donation, I stumbled upon an old newspaper featuring a story about the "World's Largest Sandbox Project."
Dated May 2016, The Chronicle Herald (founded in 1874) highlighted the winners of the EduTOX Video Challenge in both English and French. These winners received scholarship money ranging from $900 to $1,400 and an iPhone 7, which was perhaps the latest model at that time.
Interestingly, all the winners were 18 years old.
The contest was open to youth aged 14 to 22. Participants were required to submit a 1-2-minute creative video linking human health to environmental toxins, particularly those affecting the health of young people.
Future Generations in Mind
The challenge aimed to raise awareness among adolescents and young adults about the significant impacts on their future children's health and their own long-term well-being. It emphasized the importance of changing behaviors around purchasing practices, diet, and daily activities before these become lifelong habits. By engaging youth as educators and partners, the initiative hoped to convey messages more effectively to peers and ultimately inspire change.
According to the news article, the concept of this sandbox project originated from the 2014 Prenatal Environment Health Education Forum, which focused on youth health development years before their conception. The goal was to develop a youth environmental health literacy program, emphasizing locally relevant information on health risks and actions to mitigate them.
Mental and Physical Defects
Separate studies have shown that environmental factors may contribute to the increase in the number of children born with autism and other mental and physical challenges.
Could it be the air we breathe and the food we eat?
People are often so busy trying to make ends meet that one job's earnings are insufficient. Many take on a second job to meet needs beyond their monthly obligations. As a result, many families resort to processed and preserved foods for convenience.
Multiple family cars are no longer a luxury but a necessity, contributing to air pollution through exhaust emissions.
To keep homes clean in less time, we use chemical cleansers and pesticides for our gardens and farms. Toxins are also present in cosmetic products for the face, hair, and skin.
EduTOX for the World's Youth
The EduTOX sandbox project was last heard of before the pandemic.
Given all these factors, shouldn't our youth be more stimulated if offered this challenge again? This time, not only in Canada but in countries across the globe.
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