Be the Change Earth Alliance (BTCEA) is a Vancouver-based charitable non-profit founded in 2005. We deliver eco-social education initiatives that engage youth and educators in meaningful learning and action on environmental, social, and climate justice issues.
We help participants:
- Take personal and collective action in their homes, schools and communities
- Build emotional resilience in the face of ecological and climate breakdown
- Think critically, act locally, and live their values to “be the change”
Vision
An environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just human presence on this planet.
Mission
To educate and empower youth and educators to take positive personal and collective action for a just, sustainable, connected, resilient, and thriving world.
Who We Serve
We primarily work within the BC public education system, supporting youth and educators in Grades 5–12 across Metro Vancouver and BC.
We aim to create empowering educational experiences for all learners, including equity-deserving groups, and offer action-oriented education to interested BC communities.
Our Values
- Transformative, Holistic, Regenerative Education
- Empowerment | Stewardship | Leadership
- Connection | Collaboration | Community
- Kindness | Authenticity | Care
- Equity | Inclusion | Accessibility
- Social, Environmental & Climate Justice | Decolonization
- Courage | Hope | Innovation
- Humility | Deep Listening | Self-Reflection | Lifelong Learning & Growth
- Excellence | Commitment | Integrity
Our Story
In our early years, BTCEA worked in communities offering Awaken and Change symposia, Be the Change Action Circles, What’s Your Tree Circles, and the Great Turning EcoSocial Unconference. Inspired by the work of Joanna Macy and Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory, these initiatives galvanized concerned citizens to take real action for positive change. Even today, we hear stories of the lasting impact of these efforts, including circles that continued for many years.
In 2009, we stepped into the public education system in response to parent requests, beginning with school assemblies. The passion and curiosity of young people inspired a major shift in our work. We began collaborating with teachers to develop learning resources and workshops, focusing our programs on supporting youth to understand and act on major eco-social challenges, including environmental justice, biodiversity loss, and climate change.
We believe that education can inspire action, shift behaviours, and transform worldviews. By supporting young people, we create ripples of positive change throughout society. Today, our top strategic goal is to make eco-social education the norm in BC schools.
In service of this goal, we provide free online learning resources to schools, a variety of workshops and training courses for students, and Professional Development workshops for teachers. At BTCEA, we value empowerment, connection, and authenticity. We take a holistic approach to sustainability that integrates environmental, social, and spiritual connections and empowers action. We acknowledge that we live, work and play on ancestral Indigenous land across BC and actively seek ways to bring the Truth and Reconciliation process into our lives and work.
