The
Sustainability
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Students Gather for Youth Climate Action Conference, Plant a Mini Forest

On October 28, approximately 125 elementary students, 20 secondary students, and 27 educators from 25 schools across Grey and Bruce counties gathered with 55 volunteers at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre in Owen Sound for the fourth annual Youth Climate Action Conference (YCAC). The event provided a platform for students, educators, and community organizations to come together, learn, and collaborate on climate action Initiatives.

The day opened with drumming from the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Drummers, followed by remarks from Saugeen First Nation Chief Conrad Ritchie and Chippewas of Nawash unceded First Nation Acting Chief Jessica Keeshig-Martin. Grey County Warden Andrea Matrosovs introduced the keynote presentation by St. Mary’s High School teacher John Watkins and students from the Green Industries program. Watkins and his students shared their experience designing, installing, and planting several new community garden spaces at their school with support from the Town of The Blue Mountains Youth Climate Action Fund, inspiring the elementary school audience that positive change can happen.

Over the course of the day, students participated in workshops that explored water, land, and energy themes, facilitated by local organizations such as Grey Sauble Conservation Authority, the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Coastal Waters Monitoring Program, as well as local community civic leaders. Through one workshop, students ended up planting a mini forest of 160 trees and shrubs on the Bayshore property. Students also participated in a Changemaking 101 workshop, where they explored what brings them joy, their superpower, and what’s needed in the world to help them come up with an action project.

“So many local people have come together to listen to some of the most eager students from schools across both school boards,” The Sustainability Project treasurer and YCAC co-organizer Leigh Grigg, “and it doesn’t stop when the buses come at the end. Each school leaves with seed funding of $500 to make their project idea a reality at their own school. We could not have offered this opportunity to the amazing kids who came, without all the grassroots fundraising we undertook throughout the year, and the generous support from the community, notably Bruce Power, Community Foundation Grey Bruce, Stewardship Grey Bruce, Town of Blue Mountains, and many others.”

The day concluded with students sharing their project ideas in an energized session, ideas that included creating pollinator gardens, an educational campaign to promote sustainable development goals to fellow classmates, and restarting a school composting program.

While students were in the workshops and the changemaking sessions, their teachers participated in a full day of professional development on how to connect climate to their curriculum, a session led by Canadian charity Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF).

The YCAC is created each year by a large collaboration of grassroots event organizers from various sectors, including youth. Local nonprofit The Sustainability Project, with support from LSF, alongside civic leaders from Grey County, City of Owen Sound, Bluewater District School Board, Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board, and representatives from local climate action teams, wrote grants and sought out financial contributions to make it a reality. This year, there was also a Youth Advisory Council that helped steer the direction of the event.

For more information on the conference or to learn about becoming a year-round school mentor for student action projects, click here

Additional Background

After a successful inaugural conference in March 2023 that brought together 50 students from Owen Sound schools, The Sustainability Project, in partnership with Grey County and other community organizations, has grown the event significantly. The second conference in November 2023 hosted over 60 students from 10 schools, while the third conference in November 2024 welcomed over 130 students and 30 educators from 27 schools.

This year, The Sustainability Project and Grey County continue their partnership with Learning for a Sustainable Future, a national charity that has been working for over 30 years to integrate sustainability education into Canada's school system. LSF brings expertise and federal funding, which supports release time for educators to participate, action project funding, and event coordination.

Photo Credits: Jim Martin