UNSW WIL students work with the Australian Museum to develop a plan to help the museum better engage with young adults on issues around climate change
In Term 2, WIL students undertaking CDEV3000 Practice of Work developed three projects for the Australian Museum to assist them in engaging more effectively with young adults on issues relating to climate change. Here's what the museum had to say about their experience working with our students.
Australian Museum partner reflects on working with UNSW WIL students
A mission of the Australia Museum is to engage people in issues around climate change, including not just its social, environmental and economic effects, but also how individual and communities can find solutions to the crisis. Our audience research indicates that young adults (18 to 25 years old) are an audience that are the least engaged in events at the Australian Museum.
In Term 2 2020, we were a partner organisation in the CDEV3000 (Practice of Work) course at UNSW Sydney. We presented a program of work that asked students to research, plan and present three projects that could help the Museum to better engage with this audience about climate change. We were paired with two bright and passionate young women studying a Bachelor of Science/Arts degree. They were reliable, organised meetings to provide us with progress updates, new ideas or concerns, worked independently, and used our feedback in a constructive way to move the project forward. The students designed surveys and analysed survey data to inform the design of their three projects: 1) A digital light show, 2) A community mural and 3) a climate change Q&A evening organised by and featuring young adults. They didn't only see the project as an assignment, they wanted to see their projects come to fruition in the real world. They brought invaluable, new perspectives to the problem we are trying to address, and we believe each of their project ideas has the potential to be a success.