R.I.S.E. - Reflect, Inspire, Sustain, Engage: museum collections and educational activities to address eco-anxiety and promote sustainable behaviour

Description

R.I.S.E. – Reflect, Inspire, Sustain, Engage is a project developed at the Museum of Paleontology and Prehistory “P. Leonardi” of the University of Ferrara. Its aim is to address eco-anxiety and promote sustainable behaviours through museum-based educational programmes. The initiative stems from the awareness that young people, highly exposed to climate crisis narratives, need tools to transform worry and anxiety into awareness and constructive action. The project is grounded in Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, which highlights the importance of perceiving oneself as capable of making a difference in order to foster behavioural change. Educational pathways draw on palaeontological and archaeological collections to explore the relationship between humans, the environment, and climate change across long timescales (“deep time”). Past ecological crises are thus used as keys to understanding present challenges and inspiring future solutions. The programme adopts an interdisciplinary and experiential approach, combining storytelling, sensory activities, and hands-on workshops. Narratives alternate between negative aspects of human impact on the environment and positive examples of resilience and sustainability, balancing concern with hope. This dual perspective encourages critical reflection, strengthens confidence in personal agency, and motivates participants to adopt more responsible behaviours.