UNESCO, MNCU, PHC, and USM Partner with vivo for “Capture the Future” Youth Workshop at Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve
TLDR:
- 250 young people from Penang gathered at Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve April 25-26 for a 2-day visual storytelling workshop
- Organised by MNCU, Penang Hill Corporation (PHC), and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) with support from UNESCO and vivo
- Participants learned to document how communities and nature coexist using mobile photography
- Workshop is part of “Capture the Future” — global youth visual storytelling initiative with winners heading to Europe
- Submission deadline: May 31, 2026; winners join Global Youth Visual Storytelling Co-Creation Camp in Europe
A Living Classroom for Sustainability
Around 250 young people gathered at the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve (PHBR) from April 25 to April 26, 2026, to document how people and nature coexist — capturing stories of biodiversity, daily life, and sustainable livelihoods through their phones. The initiative brought together youths from Penang Vocational Colleges, Form Six students, undergraduates from Universiti Sains Malaysia, and members of the Penang Youth Development Corporation for a two-day workshop designed to transform observers into impactful visual storytellers.
PHBR serves as one of Asia’s most celebrated examples of urban life and ecological conservation coexisting, providing a learning space where participants could directly observe the relationship between communities and their environment. Guided sessions taught participants how to structure compelling stories, capture images with purpose, and communicate environmental issues in ways that are clear and relatable to broader audiences.
Madam Fadzilah Fadzil, Secretary-General of MNCU, officiated the event on behalf of H.E. Fadhlina Sidek, Minister of Education and President of MNCU. Her remarks highlighted youth storytelling as a powerful means to shape perspectives, protect nature, and connect communities — emphasizing that education should extend beyond academics to nurture critical thinking, confidence, and real-world engagement.
Building Visual Storytelling Skills with vivo Mentorship
Participants received mentorship from vivo imaging specialists, including the ZEISS mobile imaging ambassador and content creators who provided practical guidance on strengthening both technical and creative aspects of visual storytelling. The hands-on approach combined environmental awareness with professional imaging techniques, helping youth capture the authentic, everyday moments of harmony between people and nature.
“Through this collaboration, young people gain tools to tell stories from their own communities,” said Madam Maki Katsuno-Hayashikawa, Director and Representative to Malaysia at UNESCO. “By combining creativity with environmental awareness, it helps bring attention to Malaysia’s natural and cultural heritage in a way that others can understand and appreciate.”
The partnership with vivo reflects a broader trend of technology companies investing in youth education initiatives that align with their product capabilities. vivo’s mobile imaging technology served as both the learning tool and the output medium — participants used their own phones to learn professional-grade techniques before documenting their surroundings.
“Capture the Future” — A Global Stage Awaits
This workshop is part of “Capture the Future,” a global youth visual storytelling initiative focused on biosphere reserves coordinated by UNESCO and vivo. The program invites young people aged 18 to 35 worldwide to participate in a global open call for visual storytelling submissions documenting biosphere reserves in their respective countries.
Malaysia’s inclusion among the select group of countries chosen for this global rollout reflects PHBR’s standing as a model site for the intersection of community life and conservation. The biosphere reserve’s unique combination of urban accessibility and ecological diversity makes it an ideal learning environment for participants exploring how human communities and natural ecosystems can thrive together.
The submission deadline for the global initiative is May 31, 2026. Selected winners will earn the opportunity to participate in the Global Youth Visual Storytelling Co-Creation Camp in Europe later this year — providing international exposure and professional development for young Malaysian storytellers.
“At vivo, we value the unique perspectives of young creators and are dedicated to supporting their visual storytelling through our imaging capabilities,” noted a vivo representative. “Our goal is to provide the necessary tools and mentorship to help youth capture the authentic, everyday moments of harmony between people and nature, turning individual observations into impactful global narratives.”
Linking to Malaysia’s National Education Agenda
The initiative connects directly to Malaysia’s national education agenda, particularly the country’s commitment to sustainability education. By positioning visual storytelling as a vehicle for environmental awareness, the program addresses multiple educational objectives simultaneously — developing creative skills, building environmental literacy, and encouraging civic engagement among young Malaysians.
The emphasis on real-world engagement reflects a broader shift in educational philosophy that moves beyond classroom-based learning toward experiential education. Participants didn’t just study environmental conservation — they documented it, creating tangible outputs that can influence how their peers and communities perceive the relationship between human activity and ecological health.
Our Take
The Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve workshop represents a genuine intersection of technology, education, and environmental awareness that actually works. Rather than a marketing exercise dressed up as community engagement, the program provides substantive skill development alongside meaningful content creation. Having 250 young people spend two days learning professional visual storytelling techniques at a UNESCO-recognized biosphere reserve creates outcomes that benefit participants, communities, and conservation efforts simultaneously.
The international dimension matters for Malaysian youth. Winners who earn places at the Global Youth Visual Storytelling Co-Creation Camp in Europe gain exposure to global best practices in environmental storytelling while building networks with peers from different cultural contexts. These experiences shape career trajectories and personal perspectives in ways that generic classroom education cannot replicate.
For vivo, the partnership with UNESCO and Malaysian institutions provides credibility that product advertising cannot buy. When a company invests in youth skill development at heritage environmental sites, the brand association carries genuine meaning for consumers who increasingly evaluate corporate social responsibility alongside product specifications.
The “Capture the Future” initiative also addresses a genuine gap in environmental communication — the disconnect between scientific conservation data and public understanding. By training young people to document and share their own observations about how communities interact with natural environments, the program creates content that resonates more authentically than top-down awareness campaigns.
For Malaysian youth interested in environmental storytelling, the May 31 submission deadline creates a concrete opportunity. The bar for entry is access to a phone and willingness to document observations — practical requirements that don’t exclude participants from lower-income backgrounds who might otherwise miss such opportunities.
