[ECO]Idori: Empowering Children and Parents to Face Climate Change in a Positive Way

[Eco 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Idori: Empowering children and parents to face climate change in a positive way

Climate change is an issue that affects almost every aspect of our lives today, often triggering feelings of anxiety and helplessness. For parents, the challenge is twofold: They must deal with their own concerns about the future and face the daunting task of introducing these complex topics to their children. According to Pew Research Center, 76% of parents are concerned about their children dealing with anxiety. How do you explain something as vast and troubling as climate change to a 4-year-old without causing ***** or confusion? My name is Noah Sorin, and I decided to tackle this issue head-on, creating a solution that transforms environmental education into an engaging, inspiring, and empowering experience for young kids and their parents alike.

Growing up on an organic vegetable farm in northern Vermont gave me incredible outdoor experiences as a child (like hiking, camping, fishing, and snowboarding), which made me really value environmental conservation. After moving to Boston and realizing that most children don’t have these experiences nearly as accessible growing up, I made it my mission to make sustainability education accessible and enjoyable for young children everywhere. At this point, I got my first job as an early childhood educator at Boston Outdoor Preschool Network to start teaching kids about the importance of nature first-hand.

While I worked there, I recognized that while sustainability is crucial, teaching it effectively to young kids is often difficult, especially in urban areas. Many parents and teachers feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the issues or worry about causing unnecessary anxiety. As a result, many children are not introduced to these critical topics until much later in life, if at all. Yet, research from the National Institute of Health shows that habits formed in early childhood are likely to persist into adulthood, making it essential to introduce concepts like sustainability as early as possible.

In light of this, I founded Idori, a startup dedicated to helping parents and educators nurture sustainable behaviours in children ages 3 to 8. Idori offers an enchanting range of storybooks, interactive toys, hands-on activities, online resources, and afterschool programs that make learning about the environment a fun and engaging experience for young kids. This innovative approach educates and inspires children to care for the planet, ensuring that sustainability becomes second nature as they grow.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Empowering Children and Parents to Face Climate Change in a Positive Way. Image: Noah Sorin

At the heart of Idori’s offerings are its whimsical characters like Benjy the Treehopper, Flo the Ocean-Dweller, and Geebo the Puffball, who each teach children about a different aspect of environmental stewardship. These characters are from the imaginary planet Idori, where they encounter challenges like deforestation, ocean pollution, and climate change, so they have to leave the planet Idori and find a new home.

After discovering a beautiful planet called Earth, they decide to teach the children of Earth to cherish and protect their planet so it doesn’t experience the same fate as the planet Idori. Through the Idorian’s adventures, children learn about the importance of protecting nature and are encouraged to adopt sustainable habits in their own lives in an empowering way. Idori utilizes storytelling to create products and services that deliver fun, memorable, and meaningful experiences for kids. 

Idori’s products, including picture books, plush toys, and learning roadmaps, are more than just educational tools; they are designed to be interactive and fun, bridging the gap between learning and play. Each book in the series comes with a plush toy that children can cuddle and playfully interact with, enhancing the learning experience to be tactile and memorable.

The accompanying learning roadmaps help kids track their progress, providing a sense of achievement as they complete activities and lessons. Idori also offers an afterschool program, where high school and college students can volunteer to teach prek-3rd grade classrooms about the importance of sustainability using the Idori 10-week lesson plan! Kids can even celebrate their learning with a cute certificate of completion at the end of the program!

What sets Idori apart is the rigorous educational foundation behind its products and services. I worked closely with an advisory board of environmental educators to ensure the content was accurate and age-appropriate. This board includes experts like Sarah Besse, co-founder and executive director of the Boston Outdoor Preschool Network, who has extensive experience developing nature-based early childhood programs. Their input has been invaluable in creating a curriculum that resonates with children and educators, ensuring the lessons are engaging.

Parents who have tried Idori’s resources have been amazed by the positive changes in their children’s behaviours. One parent shared how their child came home after just one day of Idori’s afterschool program with a newfound determination to recycle and reduce their use of paper. Stories like these highlight the impact of Idori’s mission: to empower a generation of children to take meaningful action for the planet.

But my vision for Idori doesn’t stop there. I plan to launch a Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds needed to bring Idori’s products to a wider audience. The goal is to reach 10,000 children in the first year, expanding to one million within five years. The campaign will support the purchase of the first batch of inventory, the development of additional content, marketing campaigns, and the completion of an ed-tech platform that will make these resources even more accessible to schools and parents.

My journey is just beginning, and I need your help to make it a success. By supporting Idori, you’re not just buying a product, you’re investing in a future where sustainability is woven into the fabric of everyday life for the next generation. You can stay updated on Idori’s progress by following them on

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

at @idorians or signing up for their newsletter at

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

.

In a world where news about climate change can often feel overwhelming, my work with Idori offers a much-needed dose of hope. It reminds us that even in the face of daunting challenges, there are positive and creative ways to make a difference, starting with the youngest among us. Together, we can help our children build a better world,

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

and plush toy at a time.

The post

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

appeared first on

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up