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!
First off, we’d like to extend gratitude to our community of donors who gave over $20,000 in 2023! We deeply appreciate this support, which will directly advance our 2024 goals to:
Stay tuned to these newsletters to hear stories and updates of how our resources, workshops, and mentorship are making a tangible impact! Thank you!
One of our biggest projects over the past year has been developing and implementing our CARE program in BC’s interior. With funding from the Canadian Red Cross we were able to support approximately 500 youth and educators to explore their climate-related emotions in order to foster resilience and agency! With new funding from the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions and the Central Okanagan Foundation we will be able to continue building momentum in the Kamloops region and will be expanding our reach into the Central Okanagan. This innovative program employs a “by youth, for youth” model that features youth facilitators sharing their climate stories in order to empower participants to navigate climate emotions and take action. Here is what our facilitators are saying about their work on the CARE project:
Heidi Wismath: “I love being a CARE facilitator because it allows me to combine my passion for working with kids and science communication in a meaningful way. Witnessing the positive impact of empowering youth to take climate action and fostering their resilience in the face of challenging climate emotions is incredibly rewarding!”
Tatiana Mueller: “As someone who used to (and still occasionally does) experience climate anxiety, the CARE program is something that I definitely would have benefitted from as a kid. So now, I’m grateful to be able to offer that kind of education and support to others that might need it!”
Molly Sladden: “I am a CARE facilitator because reducing the effects of climate change is the foremost challenge of my generation, and inspiring the next generation while giving them the facts and tools they need is imperative in this task.”
Sydney Sunderland: “Being a CARE facilitator has brought me so much joy and fulfillment. The kids I’ve worked with have been so passionate and adorably intelligent about the complex issue of climate change. It’s really cool to see. I leave every workshop with my cup more full than before.”
Dayna Margetts (she/her)
Co-Executive Director: Programming and Education
Happy Thanksgiving! We’re stuffing our newsletter with thanks for you! We hope you had a delicious and restful long weekend.
It’s been a busy first month of the school year and we would love to share what’s been going on at Be the Change this past month. Let’s Fall into it!
The 2023/2024 school year is wrapping up, and what a fantastic year it has been! As the summer break approaches, we’ve been reminiscing about all the wonderful things we’ve had the opportunity to be involved with this year. From educational resource development to workshop delivery, our staff and volunteers have put their hearts and souls into the work we do here.
Introducing the Action Network: Action network map - Be The Change Earth Alliance
Be The Change is launching an exciting new resource to help connect passionate youth and educators across BC! This site showcases the stories of students and educators and highlights the actions taken by our network of changemakers through an interactive map.