Youth Workshops

Youth in High School

Workshops with high school students took place in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Participants were between 13 and 17 years old. Here are their thoughts on how to reach youth on environmental issues in general:

• There is a wide variance in the awareness and knowledge of climate change. This ranges from understanding and caring about the environment to having no knowledge or connection to the environment.
  
  
• Most of the youth were aware of recycling programs through schools or in their homes, but did not practice it or weren't aware of why it was important to recycle.
  
  
• Disadvantaged teens seem to be very unaware of current issues taking place in their own country, such as the ice storm in Quebec or the flooding in Red River valley let alone international issues such as Hurricane Mitch.
  
  
• Teens tend to me more group oriented than other youth.
  
  
• Increased focused outreach to disadvantaged youth is needed. A mainstream mass media campaign would not reach them. Specific outreach activities that reach youth are necessary, such as programs at the YMCA, having speakers or through popular TV shows such as Bill Nye the science guy, cartoons, and Street Cents.
  
  
• Campaigns need to be easy, convenient and accessible for youth to participate.
  
  
• Both the educational system and communities must implement a diversity of programs to reach youth.
  
  
• Setting examples can reach out to youth. Youth may follow examples set in the schools, the community and by peers and celebrities.
  
  
• Providing first hand experience to youth is important. They are motivated to act or care about the issue if it affects them personally.
  
  
• Empower youth through action.
  
  
• Youth should be educated on issues like climate change in an interactive participatory environment where they have the opportunity to be heard and to share their opinions and ideas as well as to be listened to. They are more apt to accept information if they are involved in the process. This could be applied to education and action.
  
  
• Youth will listen to young and famous persons speaking to them about the issue.
  
  
• Campaigns need to become affiliated or integrated with something youth can identify with such as Earth Day or Canada Day.
  
  
• Youth need to hear common language.
  
  
• "Bring changes into society as a way of life."
  
  
• A climate change campaign should reach out to everyone. Youth feel that older people are more resistant to making changes.
  
  
• Reach people at a young age. A climate change campaign needs to speak out to the children as well.
  
  
• Youth respond to the portrayal of reality in campaigns. Facts, powerful visuals and placing content in proper contexts effects youth.
  
  
• Contests and prizes interest youth.

Here are their ideas about what can be done to reach out to youth and get them interested in climate change:

• Have the climate change campaign integrated into another event such as Earth day, Folk Festival or Canada Day.
  
  
• Have a 'famous youth' spokesperson speak out about the issue
  
  
• Advertise through school dances
  
  
• Hold a 'Most Environmentally Friendly School' contest.
  
  
• Give a Youth Action Climate Change Award to a youth that has done the most to reduce emissions for the neighborhood, or initiate a special recognition program honoring youth for raising awareness and participation in developing and eco-community.
  
  
• Organize school events, which would show them the degraded condition of our environment, such as a landfill site, and the positive side of being environmentally friendly, such as an organic farm.
  
  
• Organize community theatre using the issue of climate change for younger children.
  
  
• Initiate programs to promote participation by youth in tree planting, forestry, combating desert creep, waste reduction, recycling and other sound environmental practices.
  
  
• Create programs for teenage youth to participate in climate change projects such as summer, weekend or holiday programs and summer internships.
  
  
• Have youth design, implement and monitor community school gardens, eco-friendly schools and energy audits for schools.
  
  
• Hold presentations on climate change through youth groups, classrooms, hosting youth workshops.
  
  
• "No cheesy ad campaigns."
  
  
• Have youth design a climate change project that considers the local community and have local municipalities fund the project.
  
  
• Provide more opportunities for youth and youth educators to experience the great outdoors through outdoor workshops or field trips where participants learn about the environment and share ideas to make their lives more sustainable.
  
  
• Use high schools and students on TV ads, youth relate to other youth.
  
  
• Creating a youth action resource book on climate change.
  
  
• Use MuchMusic and Kids TV network. Have children's programs speak about the issues.
  
  
• Have a contest among the different high schools on who can produce the best commercial on the effects of climate change. The winner of the contest will have their commercial on national television as well as a cash award.
  
  
• Have fast food restaurants such as Taco Time and Harvey's produce environmental facts on their packaging.
  
  
• Produce a cool video game on climate change or interactive CD-ROM.
  
  
• Set up a National Speaker Bureau.
  
  
• Integrate climate change in to the curriculum. Youth could do research projects on climate change for various classes.
  
  
• Integrate messages in TV shows that youth are watching as they do with teen pregnancy, drinking and driving, child abuse and other issues.
  
  
• Use real environmental issues as learning examples such as conducting experiments on a contaminated site.
  
  
• Use Street Cents or the magic school bus to get the message out to youth.
  
  
• Use games to learn.
  
  
• Place advertisement before the movies in theatres.
  
  
• Use cartoons to get the message out.

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