Stars and STEM Stories
GLOBE Africa: GLOBE and Planetwalk Africa Launch Environmental Education Pilot in Togo and Benin
GLOBE Africa, in partnership with Planetwalk Africa, has launched a new environmental education pilot in Togo and Benin, bringing together hands-on science, reflection, and youth leadership development.
The pilot, initially planned to begin in Benin, continued in Togo with plans to expand to additional countries across the African continent. This initiative operationally supported by GLOBE Benin, integrates GLOBE’s citizen science protocols with Planetwalk Africa’s experiential learning approach, helping students connect environmental data collection with local context and community action. The first stage of the pilot (Benin and Togo) was expected to reach more than 400 students.
Learning Grounded in Place
Students and educators took part in environmental observations, data collection, guided dialogue, and community-based activities. The program focused on locally relevant issues such as weather patterns, land use, and public health, enabling students to see how global science tools apply directly to their everyday environments.
“This pilot shows what is possible when scientific practice is paired with reflection and local leadership,” said Mark Brettenny, director of the GLOBE Africa Regional Coordination Office. “Students are not just collecting data—they are developing a deeper understanding of their role as environmental stewards within their own communities.”
Participating schools included Complexe Scolaire Les Archimedes in Togo and CEG Sèmè-Podji in Benin. For educators, the program offered new ways to engage students in science learning that feels relevant and empowering.
“My students were more engaged than I have ever seen them,” said Dorcas Ariwola Fagbohoun, a teacher at CEG Sèmè-Podji in Benin. “They understood that the observations they were making mattered, not just for school, but for their community and for the wider world.”
Planetwalk Africa and Youth Rising
At the heart of this pilot is Planetwalk.org, a philosophy rooted in the life and work of Dr. John Francis, whose commitment to walking, silence, and deep listening shows that leadership begins with awareness. His legacy, shared through film and dialogue, offers students something rare in today’s fast-moving world: permission to slow down, to listen, and to act with intention.
Planetwalk Ambassador Oshoke Abalu—architect, educator, and storyteller—worked closely with students, emphasizing representation and shared experience. Her presence helped students cultivate an awareness of their lived experience as the foundation for leadership in science and environmental care.
For students, the experience offered a new perspective on science and responsibility. “I learned that science is not only something in books,” said a student participant from Complexe Scolaire Les Archimedes in Togo. “It is something we use to understand what is happening around us and to think about how we can help protect our environment.”
This pilot is especially timely. Young people in Africa are coming of age amid environmental change, rapid urbanization, artificial intelligence, and shifting social realities. Planetwalk Africa meets this moment by grounding global wisdom in local experience and revealing that care for the Earth begins with care for self, community, and choice.
Looking Ahead
The Togo and Benin pilot represents an early step in developing Planetwalk Africa as a flexible, locally adaptable framework co-created with GLOBE Africa. Organizers see the initiative as a way to strengthen scientific capacity while supporting youth leadership that is grounded in care for community and environment.
As the program expands, it aims to continue building connections between African students and global science while keeping learning rooted in local experience.
Learn more about GLOBE Africa.
Story courtesy of Ylliass Destin Lawani, GLOBE Benin Country Coordinator & GLOBE Alumni Regional Coordinator.
Images courtesy of Dodzi Aglago, Ylliass Destin Lawani, and Oshoke Abalu.