At a Glance: Young Content Creators in Dorset
Dorset Local Nature Partnership (DLNP) and Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) partnered with Participation People to deliver a young content creators programme, equipping young people aged 14–19 to produce engaging, youth-led environmental content.
Over four months, participants explored themes including nature recovery, climate change and mental health, creating digital media designed to resonate with their peers across Dorset.
Through a blend of structured training, creative production sessions, and AQA accreditation, young people developed real-world media skills while contributing to local environmental conversations.
About DLNP & Dorset Wildlife Trust
Dorset Local Nature Partnership and Dorset Wildlife Trust are committed to strengthening nature recovery and inspiring community engagement across Dorset.
Recognising that young people are more likely to engage with content created by their peers, the organisations sought to invest in youth-led storytelling as a way to amplify environmental messages and build long-term engagement.
The Challenge: Making Nature Relevant to Young People
Environmental communication often struggles to reach younger audiences in ways that feel relevant, engaging and authentic.
DLNP and DWT identified key challenges:
- Limited youth-generated content within environmental campaigns
- Traditional messaging not always resonating with younger audiences
- A need to build long-term youth engagement, not one-off participation
The opportunity was to shift from speaking to young people, to creating conversations with them.
The Aim: Building a Movement of Youth-Led Content
The programme aimed to:
- Empower young people as environmental storytellers
- Develop high-quality, youth-led digital content
- Build long-term engagement with DLNP and DWT
- Equip participants with transferable media and communication skills
- Provide meaningful accreditation through AQA
Beautiful Dorset coastline featuring a natural rock arch and a lively beach scene. Created by a Dorset Young Content Creator.
The Strategy: Skills, Creativity and Co-Production
Participation People designed a young content creators programme combining training, creativity and co-production.
Fifteen young people were recruited across Dorset, bringing a wide range of interests including wildlife conservation, climate activism, media production and mental health.
Young people shaped both the themes and formats of their content from the outset, ensuring relevance and authenticity.
Training Phase (6 Modules)
Delivered online, the training covered:
- Ethics, AI & Media Literacy – understanding bias, misinformation and responsible storytelling
- Blogging & Youth Journalism – writing compelling, evidence-based content
- Social Media & Digital Storytelling – designing content for youth audiences
- Podcasting Skills – planning and producing youth-led discussions
- Photography, Videography & Editing – technical and creative production skills
- Creative Practice in Action – applying learning through feedback and inspiration
Creative Content Sessions
Young people then applied their learning through collaborative production sessions, creating:
- Short-form video content (TikTok/Reels)
- Photo montages and visual storytelling
- Articles and blog content
- A short animation
All content was youth-led — from concept to final output.
Participants also completed an AQA accreditation in Social Media & Communications, recognising their skills and contribution.
Outcomes and Impact
The programme delivered both creative outputs and meaningful development for participants:
- 15 young people recruited, with 9 completing the full programme
- Completion of 6 training modules and 4 creative sessions
- Production of multiple pieces of youth-led content, including short-form videos and visual media
- AQA accreditation achieved, building confidence and employability
- 5 participants committed to ongoing involvement with DLNP and DWT
Young people described the experience as empowering and relevant, highlighting how creativity helped them connect their passions with environmental action:
“It helped us use our passions to make nature feel important for everyone our age.”
Beyond the Programme: A Young Content Creators Community
A key strength of the project is its continuation beyond the initial delivery.
DLNP and DWT are working to:
- Maintain a core group of young content creators
- Share ongoing opportunities and updates
- Build long-term relationships with participants
- Strengthen authentic youth-led content across their platforms
This shifts the work from a one-off project to a sustained young content creators community, strengthening both impact and trust.
Lessons Learned
- Youth-led design leads to more engaging and relevant content
- Creativity makes environmental issues more accessible
- Hybrid delivery supports wider inclusion
- Accreditation increases commitment and confidence
- Timing programmes outside school terms can improve retention
Testimonial
The Young Content Creators was a fantastic programme, enabling the group of amazing young people to produce inspiring content about the environmental issues that mattered to them. Seeing the group grow in confidence was wonderful. The feedback from our partners on the social media posts that were created has been really positive. We are continuing to work with the group, and we’re excited to see what they develop next.
– Maria Clarke, Dorset Local Nature Partnership Manager
Final Reflection: Youth Voice Through Creative Collaboration
This project demonstrates how a young content creators programme can do more than build skills — it can shift how organisations communicate, engage and build relationships with young people.
By investing in youth-led storytelling, DLNP and DWT have created content that is more authentic, more engaging and more likely to influence the next generation of environmental action.
At Participation People, this is how we work — supporting young people to turn their ideas, creativity and lived experience into meaningful influence. If you want to explore a young content creators programme for your own organisation, get in touch.
