Young voices from the mountains turning local knowledge into global action
Peru: Training the next gen of glacier ambassadors through citizen science and digital storytelling
What if the people best placed to protect the world’s glaciers were those who grew up near them?
In Peru, they are.
In the Cordillera Blanca (home to the largest concentration of tropical glaciers on the planet), Junior Adrian Figueroa Miranda is training young people from mountain communities to monitor, document and protect the glaciers that sustain their families, farms and futures. Through a combination of citizen science, digital storytelling and intergenerational dialogue, the Glacier Ambassadors programme is turning local knowledge into global action.
“Glaciers are like giant water tanks in the mountains. The water you are drinking right now comes from glaciers.”
Junior Adrian Figueroa Miranda, Ancash Regional Director, Young Peruvian Leaders Ancash
The European Training Foundation (ETF) is delighted to count this initiative as one of the finalists for the Green Skills Award 2026. Read on to find out why.
The project
Junior Adrian leads the Young Glacier Ambassadors programme through Young Peruvian Leaders (YPL). He has trained 15 young people aged 18–29 from the Huaylas Valley in glaciology, citizen science, digital tools and environmental communication. Selected from 50 applicants, these ambassadors learn to monitor glacier retreat using photographic evidence, engage their communities in dialogue about water security, and design micro-projects addressing local environmental challenges.
The programme bridges scientific research, indigenous knowledge and youth activism, proving that climate action starts with education and ends with empowered communities.
The ETF has selected this initiative as one of the six finalists for the Green Skills Award, recognising how it transforms young people from mountain communities into trained citizen scientists – equipped to monitor, communicate and advocate for glacier observation, and to bridge indigenous knowledge with climate research, in one of the world's most climate-vulnerable regions.
Why this initiative stands out:
- A responsive training programme combining glaciology, citizen science and environmental leadership skills
- Trained ambassadors developed community micro-projects on glacier protection
- Harnesses intergenerational knowledge, enabling young ambassadors to learn from Quechua-speaking elders while sharing new climate science in return
- Builds institutional partnerships with Peru’s National Park Huascarán (SERNANP), the National Institute for Research on Glaciers and Mountain Ecosystems (INAIGEM), the Mountain Youth Hub, and the Mountain Institute
- Enables ambassadors to present their projects to authorities, establishing a network of young citizen scientists across the Cordillera Blanca
- Young people aged 18-29 from communities across the Callejon de Huaylas Valley are trained them through seven intensive sessions in glaciology, citizen science, digital tools and environmental communication.
- Ambassadors learn to monitor glacier retreat through photographic evidence, engage their communities in dialogue about water security, and design micro-projects addressing local environmental challenges.
- The programme integrates modern scientific research techniques with indigenous know-how, uniting climate science with the traditional knowledge of the mountains.
- Ambassadors present their micro-projects at a public forum directed at local authorities.
- The programme is helping to establish a network of young citizen scientists. Future plans include more learning sessions, further collaboration with institutions, greater involvement of elders, and increased exchange with young people from rural communities.
- 15 young people trained as Glacier Ambassadors through 7 intensive sessions (5 virtual, 2 in-person field expeditions)
- 9 community micro-projects designed and presented, addressing glacier lake clean-up, information panels and advocacy to local authorities
- 50+ community members engaged in participatory workshops, including farmers, elders and water users
- Programme aligned with the International Year of Glaciers 2025 and the 50th anniversary of Huascarán National Park
- Green skills developed include environmental leadership, citizen science, digital communication, project design, teamwork and critical thinking
“Take actions that make a difference. Even if they are small, make them count.”
Junior Adrian Figueroa Miranda, Ancash Regional Director, Young Peruvian Leaders Ancash
- Young and older generations now share knowledge and work together to protect glaciers, breaking generational barriers around climate dialogue
- Ambassadors have used photographic monitoring as visual and scientific evidence to demonstrate glacier retreat to local authorities
- The programme’s micro-projects were evaluated by expert judges and the top three received additional support for implementation
- Junior’s digital storytelling (short videos, reels and social media campaigns) translates complex glaciology into content that reaches audiences far beyond the Andes
- The model is designed for replication: the methodology, narrative templates and low-cost tools can be adapted by other youth groups in mountain communities worldwide
Junior’s motivation runs deep. His grandparents lived at the foot of the Cordillera Blanca, and their stories about the glaciers have shaped his decision to study environmental engineering. Today, he channels that personal connection into a programme that gives young Andean people the skills and confidence to become the scientists, storytellers and leaders their communities need.
In a region where 41.5% of the glacier area has been lost over the past 60 years, the Young Glacier Ambassadors programme offers something rare: a pipeline from local concern to trained action.
“Start small. Listen more than you talk. And do not give up. Let your dreams be bigger than the obstacles!”
Junior Adrian Figueroa Miranda, Ancash Regional Director, Young Peruvian Leaders Ancash
