This project has presented us all with a unique opportunity. From my perspective, it appears as though we are all being paid to learn.
The learning process, which has been rolling along for a handful of weeks, encompasses almost all aspects of education. In myself, I have noticed progression in technical journalism skills, in my ability to work as part of a group and in leadership as well as teamwork.
The resources available to our team are nothing short of fantastic, which in turn have allowed us to go places I’d never before been, speak with those who were affected by this disaster and record it in all types of media.
My true end goal of this project, as I witness it, is to spread awareness of this disaster throughout Nebraska and beyond, and at the same time, allow the organic spread of climate change knowledge and awareness by acknowledging the intertwining nature of the two. The disaster and climate change are both part of the same system, yet exist on separate scalar levels. I think by anchoring the intangible (climate change) through the emotional, intimate and important stories of Nebraska’s floods and explaining the connections between the two, the apparent insurmountable nature of climate change may become more accessible to those who have not yet had the chance to learn more about it.
It is exciting to me to be able to tell these stories, yet I also am placing daily effort into being mindful of the devastating nature of these floods and other climate change disasters and approaching telling these stories with the proper reverence.
