Reimagining Our Future: Teen Science Fiction Writing Program

Challenge

How can we inspire creative thinking and imaginative, equitable solutions for our planet’s future? Imagination and the ability to shape narratives are identified under the 2025 IPBES Transformative Change Assessment as essential to transform our future trajectory to one of sustainability, healthy ecosystems and much more equitable societies. These approaches must be inclusive of local communities who feel empowered to contribute to positive change. Youth are a key audience with whom to engage and actualize these approaches, but such work remains under explored and under invested in, despite positive reports coming from school systems like Estonia’s.

Response

Together with Sci-Fest L.A., Rosalind co-founded the Omega Sci-Fi Project in 2014, which works with high school teachers across Los Angeles County to engage students in an annual short science fiction writing program. Now housed under the arts and education nonprofit, Light Bringer Project, this runs from August through May each year and emphasises storytelling that creatively explores and addresses social and environmental justice challenges, as well as positive narratives of overcoming our environmental crises. This program is co-presented by the environmental education nonprofit, Nature Nexus Institute (NNI). Based on curriculum originally developed by Rosalind and expanded on by Light Bringer Project and the NNI, Light Bringer staff deliver free creative science fiction writing workshops for students from September to February each season. These workshops specifically facilitate and empower students in original idea generation, dialogue and learning around how to identify and explore social and environmental issues through creative writing. Students who wish to do so may then further develop and submit their stories for judging by a group of volunteer writers, editors, educators, scientists, librarians and publishers. Judges’ picks are then honored in a culmination that includes an award for best environmental themed science fiction story and read dramatically on stage by actors, an interpretive process that helps students to experience their work in a manner that effectively encourages continued writing and ideas exploration.

Participants

Los Angeles County high school students.
Los Angeles County high school teachers and administrators.
Partner organizations including Nature Nexus Institute and LA Parent Magazine.
A large body of professionals who volunteer, inclusive of novel and screenwriters, scientists, filmmakers, publishers, booksellers, librarians, and educators.