January Newsletter: Sharing Gratitude & Excitement for 2024!
Happy New Year! We hope you had a memorable holiday season and a positive start to 2024. At Be the Change, we are energized and excited for the year ahead!
If you haven’t already contributed, there’s just two days left to be part of our Community for Change Campaign!
In four weeks we’ve raised just over $15,000 of our $25,000 goal. So far eighty people of our 100 person goal have contributed
Will you donate and help us reach our target? We need your help to continue this amazing work! Canadian tax receipts are issued for all donations over $10.
What work, you ask? And why?
We asked a few community members to chime in and let us know what BTCEA means to them.
We NEED this education because… “we need to foster a sense of care for the environment in the next generation of children.” -Youth Leader Salina Kung
BTCEA’s role in my community is… “to support each of us to be the change necessary to bring about a world that is environmentally sustainable, socially just and spiritually fulfilling. That is a huge part of its genius, since our fragmented world deeply needs more holistic approaches.” - Past BTCEA Board member Kate Sutherland
BTCEA’s curriculum is a vital element in schools because… “it is a catalyst to change and engages youth to build a knowledge base, extend their learning, ultimately engaging in a worthy cause and making a difference.” - Teacher Denise North
I remember when… “I attended my first BTCEA symposium, for the first time I felt that there was hope for our current and future generations because there are others who truly care about our environment and want a more sustainable future. The event was an eye opener and empowering experience that allowed me to understand that regardless of our differences as individuals we can make a difference in our society by speaking up and taking action.” - BTCEA Intern Flora Lin
We need this type of education RIGHT NOW because… “Teenagers often just need a nudge to get out of their comfort zone and engage in something that makes a difference within themselves and/or within their community; that’s the essence of SLS. We can never underestimate how students are today’s leaders; they have the ability, and energy, to make a difference once given a chance.” - Teacher Denise North
For more the full version of their responses, and more questions and voices, click here.
We have only two days left before this campaign closes on December 11th, 2015! Please join our community with a financial contribution to support ripples of real change. Thank you so very much for your generous support!
Please pass this along to others you think may be interested.
Latest posts
December 2023 Newsletter - ⛄‘Tis the season to celebrate at Be The Change!⛄
As 2023 comes to a close and school winds down for winter break, we’re taking a moment to reflect back over the past year. 2023 was a very regenerative time for BTCEA! We developed and delivered our Climate Action, Resilience, and Emotions (CARE) program in communities on the frontlines of wildfires in our province. And as an organization, we prioritized creating space to discuss what decolonization could look like both internally, and in our programming. Here are the highlights:
Oct 2023 Newsletter - Check out our mid-October climate-justice resources!
Hello,
An introduction from Communications Coordinator, Lucy Wicken
Dear Be The Change community,
As we approach mid-October, I’m reflecting on the changing seasons, from the warm and active days of summer to the cooler and quieter days of autumn. Personally, I’ve noticed a desire to slow down, take on fewer responsibilities, and stay inside where it’s cozy. Have you felt this way too?
As 21st century humans living in a world that operates under capitalism, white supremacy, and other oppressive systems, we can be made to feel guilt or shame about listening & responding to our needs. We are expected to maintain the same energy and productivity levels throughout the year, no matter how cold or dark the days are, how heavy world events feel, or how much we’re struggling in our personal lives.
This is where the concept of regenerative education comes in. Introduced to the BTCEA team by former staff member Jake, regenerative education calls on us to slow down and turn inward to consider our connection with the natural world. It asks us to examine the living systems that are breaking down due to violent human activity (such as fossil fuel extraction, destruction of Indigenous lands, and human-caused flooding and wildfires) and connect this breakdown with our own high levels of stress.
