Youth work to act on climate change
A non-profit society hopes to bring youth together to tackle climate change in their local areas
The 2021-22 Fraser Valley youth cohort on an outdoor learning trip to Pitt Lake. (Submitted)
Under the Fraser Basin Council Youth Program, the Co-Creating a Sustainable BC (CCSBC) initiative is open to young adults ages 16 to 30 to join until September.
In the program, young people engage in sustainable challenges through a social, economic, and environmental lens to help the environment in their respective areas.
“So, it’s basically like an eight-month long program for youth to learn about sustainability and climate change, especially in the context of their community,” says Cherry Tam, the youth program lead.
In the 2022-2023 commitment for the program, youth will participate in dialogue sessions, skill building, and project work. Participants will also attend field trips, a camping trip, and an in-person event in Vancouver.
“This program … [shows] what kind of local initiatives are already happening on the ground, and maybe what gaps still exist in the community,” Tam says.
“Then we support you to build connections with community leaders, build the skills and knowledge, and then they get some seed money to develop their own projects and the community.”
She says it’s a good opportunity to meet other like-minded youth to feel less lonely, knowing there are other people wanting to make their region a better place to live.
One project from the initiative was a resource booklet for families to prepare for future extreme weather events created by the 2021-2022 Fraser Valley cohort.
“With the flooding and fires, especially in 2021, that was a really intense year for climate impacts. So, that was definitely something that the group last year was talking about,” Tam says.
Another project from the 2020-2021 Fraser Valley group is the Waste Free Fraser Valley, which aims to raise awareness and inspire action towards waste reduction in the Fraser Valley.
The program is accepting applications for the 2022-2023 cohorts until early September. They are currently recruiting young people from the Fraser Valley, North-Central, Thompson, and Cowichan Valley regions of British Columbia.
Tam says those unable to participate in the current run of the program can look forward to joining the next group in spring.
The initiative hasn’t focused on Surrey since it’s closer to Metro Vancouver than the Fraser Valley. However Tam says there are past and current participants from Surrey.
The program also requires participants to be twice vaccinated for COVID-19, wear masks, and maintain social distance from others at all times during indoor events.
