Stories & Updates

April 2021 Newsletter

A New “Challenge” for Students and Teachers!

Be the Change is excited to share our latest initiative, a challenge to students and teachers to Build the BC Network of School-Based Changemakers. The challenge launched in late March and it aims to help build the widest school-based climate action communication network, and engage the most student and teacher voices in a climate education survey to shape the future of the BC education system. This initiative is, in part, to help the incredible efforts of Climate Education Reform BC (CERBC), a youth-led organization calling for changes to the BC education system that better prepare students and teachers to tackle the climate crisis. 

March 2021 Newsletter

Earth Day 2021 Webinar: Eco-Consciousness Rising

On Earth Day, hundreds of millions of people all over the world will be affirming their alliance with earth…learning, growing, acting, being in alignment with eco-social-climate-justice values!

February 2021 Newsletter

From Canada to all corners of the world, youth are collectively calling for climate action. Take for example Artemisa Xakriabá, a 19-year-old indigenous climate activist in Brazil, fighting to protect the Amazon from the unprecedented fires caused by the climate crisis, or Leah Namugerwa, a 15-year-old Ugandan climate activist, campaigning to end the deforestation, droughts and floods caused by the climate crisis. Let us celebrate all young climate leaders and advocates tackling the climate crisis, especially young those who are Black, Indigenous and People of Colour.

January 2021 Newsletter

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).

December 2020 Newsletter

First off: Be the Change wishes you and everyone in our wonderful community Happy Holidays and a great New Year! May you find ease and peace during these challenging times. 

A Thank You Note to All Our Donors!

Thank you to all our new and ongoing donors for donating to Be the Change’s fundraising campaign. We raised $12,995 and had almost 40 donors contribute! This support will enable is to continue empowering youth to become environmental and social justice changemakers, including our Climate Ambassador Workshops, the spotlight of our #GivingTuesday campaign.

 

November 2020 Newsletter

Congratulations to the City of Vancouver for upholding their commitment to tackling climate change!

On January 16, 2019, the City of Vancouver became the first Canadian city to declare a Climate Emergency. Since then, the City has followed through with their commitments on tackling climate change and has developed and officially passed on November 17, 2020 a participatory and collaborative Climate Emergency Action Plan. Backed by climate science and taking guidance from the United Nations Paris Climate Agreement, the Climate Emergency Action Plan aims to scale-up efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C.  The Action Plan consists of 32 policies and strategies that tackle climate change and reduce local carbon emissions, such as adopting a sustainable transportation target of at least 80% of trips made by walking, cycling, or public transit by 2030. 

As part of their commitment to the Climate Emergency, the City of Vancouver also became the first city in the world to sign the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, which intends to have a just and equitable transition to clean energy and low-carbon solutions.

November 2020 Fundraising

Be the Change’s climate storytelling workshops for high school students start with two simple questions:

-What comes to mind when you think about climate change?

-Thinking about climate change, what emotions and feelings come up?

I’ve delivered this workshop dozens of times, but I’m always struck by students' responses:

“Drastic temperature changes, environmental disasters....I feel hopeless.” 

“Ice melting, forest fires...I feel angry, disappointed, sad.” 

“End of the world… I feel fear and impending doom.”

But this storytelling workshop, which we organize and deliver in collaboration with the UBC Climate Hub, isn’t about reinforcing the severity of the climate crisis or students’ feelings of despair and grief. 

October 2020 Newsletter

Happy Birthday to Be the Change!

On October 21, 2020,  Be the Change Earth Alliance reached a huge milestone. We celebrated our 15th  year of providing environmental education and empowerment across Metro Vancouver and BC!

September 2020 Newsletter

Fall is here! Here are some updates from Be the Change as we enter a new season and school-year!

Environmental Education Panel

“Imagine a future where world leaders have grown up with a deep understanding of the natural environment that sustains us and knowledge that informs responsible decisions that advance our planetary health.”