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!
I hope the start of your new year has been going well! In this newsletter, I’d like to zoom in on one of our most exciting projects -- one that I actually helped co-found back in 2018 while I was an undergrad at the University of British Columbia (UBC).
Be the Change Earth Alliance, in collaboration with the UBC Climate Hub, is proud to offer Youth Climate Ambassadors workshops to high school aged youth across British Columbia. Instead of focusing on the ‘doom and gloom’ narrative surrounding climate change, these free workshops use the power of storytelling to empower and inspire youth to take positive action on climate change. By participating in these workshops, youth gain hope and agency and a deeper understanding of how climate change is both an environmental and social justice problem. Youth also walk-away with the impactful tools required to be effective climate activists, leaders and communicators.
What does the Climate Ambassador workshop entail?
In these virtual 45-90 minute workshops, middle and high school aged youth ...
- Participate in an open discussion and dialogue on their ideas and feelings surrounding climate change.
- Are introduced to the concept of climate justice.
- Learn from the personal stories and experiences of the facilitators, on how they became motivated to take positive action on climate change.
- Learn from stories of other youth, locally and internationally, who are stepping up to act on climate change.
- Participate in an activity to guide them in creating their own “climate story” and identifying a call to action for their peers, families and community members.
YCAP workshops are facilitated by UBC student volunteers, who are able to meaningfully relate to and engage with their high school peers.
Know anyone who may be interested interested in hosting a Climate Ambassador workshop?
Be the Change Earth Alliance is able to continue its work empowering youth leaders through the generous support of our donors. Please consider donating today. Thank you!
Warmly,
George Radner (he/his)
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.
