Community Vitality in Action

Going Green

Story:

Both Ontario and British Columbia have been ‘Going Green’ with their Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) projects. The Evans Lake Forestry Education Society Camp near Squamish, BC, was the site of youth gearing up for environmental action in October 2006, as young people from three continents participated in the YIP: Going Green youth forum. The event was organized by members of BC community foundation youth advisory councils (YACs) to encourage and enable YACs from throughout BC to get more involved in environmental grantmaking and leadership activities.

In addition to British Columbia YAC members and their adult advisors, participants included youth from community foundations in Hamilton, Ontario and Kaliningrad, Russia. Together with Canadian and African youth involved in a Canada World Youth exchange program, they learned about environment issues, and ideas and skills for action from environment and youth organizations such as Check Your Head, Smartgrowth, the Evergreen Foundation, and 20/20 Vision.

They also heard from YACs and community foundations that have already been involved in environmental grantmaking and leadership, such as the Hamilton Foundation YAC’s POET program (Protecting Our Environment Together), the Sunshine Coast Community Foundation’s “Garbage-free Lunch Days” and the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan’s ‘Youth in Action’ high school environmental grants program. A short documentary on water conservation produced by students attending Princess Margaret Secondary School in Penticton titled ‘Stop the Drip’ was also featured.

The Ontario YIP Going Green Forum brought youth from around Ontario together to discuss the environment. The event featured two keynote addresses, one from an exceptional student leader, Alysia Gramulewicz, 19-year-old Carleton University student and founder of Changing Climates Environmental Society, and one from Lynda Lukasik, Policy Analyst in the office of the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, well-known local and award-winning environmentalist. Delegates developed ideas on how they could take what they had learned ‘home’ to the community, regional, national and international levels.