Youth Un-Conference

Generation Green Youth Un-conference

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE GENERATION GREEN YOUTH UN-CONFERENCE. THIS EVENT HAS NOW ENDED. HOWEVER, IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO TAKE CLIMATE ACTION! WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO JOIN US TO PROMOTE CLIMATE ACTION IN YOUR COMMUNITIES AND HELP REDUCE YOUR COMMUNITY’S GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR RESOURCES PAGE OR OUR WINTER WEBINAR SERIES FOR SUPPORT, OR CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION.

November 22, 2019 (PD Day) from 8am – 3:30pm
Sheridan College Conference Centre
(Transportation offered in some locations)
FREE for Halton Students in Grades 7-12

A conference for youth by youth, where students are given the tools, resources, and inspiration to actively empower them to reduce Halton’s carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions.

What is the Generation Green Youth Un-conference?

The Generation Green Youth Un-conference is an event designed by youth for youth, with the goal of engaging Halton students in climate action leadership, and supporting them in their commitment to greenhouse gas emission reductions in order to drive change and action in their communities.

The conference will take place on November 22, 2019 at Sheridan College, and will consist of a panel session in the morning, followed by four breakout workshop sessions throughout the day. At the end of the day, the students will go back to their communities and use the tools and skills that they learned to implement a program that will reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. They will then be asked to track and measure their impact, and report back in Spring 2020 with their results.

On the day of the event, students will be given the opportunity to hear from an outstanding line up of community experts, leaders, and engagers, who will educate and inspire youth through a keynote talk, panel discussion, and various workshops. Read below for more information on each.

Keynote Speaker

Elizabeth Dowdeswell

The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell was invested as Ontario’s 29th Lieutenant Governor on September 23, 2014. Her eclectic public service career has spanned provincial, federal, and international borders, and has transcended disciplinary and sectoral lines.

Ms. Dowdeswell began her professional career as a teacher and university lecturer. After serving as the Deputy Minister of Culture and Youth for the Government of Saskatchewan, she held increasingly senior positions in the Canadian public service, most notably as head of the Atmospheric Environment Service. Throughout this period, she managed several public inquiries and royal commissions.

Her international negotiating experiences prefaced her election in 1992 as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. Upon returning to Canada in 1998, she established an international consulting practice and became the founding President and CEO of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization. Immediately prior to her appointment as Lieutenant Governor, Ms. Dowdeswell was the President and CEO of the Council of Canadian Academies. She has also served on numerous boards of corporate and non-profit organizations.

Ms. Dowdeswell was born in Northern Ireland and immigrated to rural Saskatchewan with her parents in 1947. She earned a Bachelor of Science in home economics and teaching certificate from the University of Saskatchewan (1966) and a Master of Science in behavioural sciences from Utah State University (1972). An Officer of the Order of Canada, Ms. Dowdeswell holds 11 honorary degrees.

Panelists

Chief R. Stacey Laforme

R. Stacey LaForme is the elected Chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN). Born and raised on MCFN, Chief LaForme has served his community for over eighteen years being first elected to council in 1999. Chief LaForme is committed to increasing involvement and communication between Elected Council and both on and off-reserve membership. He is very active throughout MCFN’s traditional territory which encompasses 3.9 million acres of Southern Ontario, not only as a Chief, but as a notable storyteller and poet. Chief R. Stacey LaForme exemplifies significant and continuous service to our community by demonstrating integrity, generosity of spirit, humility, courage, collaboration, “The Good Mind”, and traditional ways of knowing and being.

Daniel Scott

Dr. Scott is a University Research Chair and Executive Director of the Climate Change Centre at the University of Waterloo. He has done research on climate change for over 20 years and been a contributing author to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Third, Fourth and Fifth Assessment Reports. His research has been featured in many leading media outlets, including The Economist, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, BBC, Time, Scientific American, and National Geographic.

Workshops

At the Generation Green Youth Un-conference, students will attend four workshops throughout the day – one mandatory and three of their choice. Each workshop will teach the students a tool or skill that can be used to help them reduce their community’s greenhouse gas emissions. The following workshops will be offered at the event:

Action Projects to Change the World: A How-To Guide | Behaviour Change and Climate Change | Building Smart Cities | Citytrees, Urban Forestry, and Climate Action | Communication Matters! Strategies for Authentic Climate Conversations | Creating a Youth Movement: How to Fund, Market, and Brand | Electrified Transportation – Charging Forward on Climate Action | Environmental Technology | How To Lobby Politicians To Reduce GHG Emissions | How to Measure, Track and Report Your Impact | Put a LID (Low Impact Development) On It | Share Your Climate Story Through Film | Sheridan District Energy System Tour | The 5R’s of Waste Management

Workshop summaries will be available in your Generation Green Toolkit.

Environmental University/College Fair

Are you interested in pursuing a post-secondary education in environmental studies? Over the lunch period, we will be hosting an Environmental University/ College Fair to provide the students with an opportunity to network and learn more about the environmental post-secondary programs offered in Ontario. Be ready to ask questions and explore your options.

Community Initiatives and Additional Support

Using the skills, tools, and resources from the Un-conference, students will implement their very own greenhouse gas emission reduction initiatives in community. All students will have access to a Generation Green Toolkit, which will provide workshop summaries and step-by-step procedures to guide students through the implementation of their initiatives. Students will also have access to bi-weekly support webinars with a Q&A period, and an opportunity for 1-on-1 meetings with HCC staff for additional support. Students who do not attend the un-conference will also have access to all resources and materials, and are encouraged to implement their own programs in community as well.

For any questions, comments, or concerns, students are encouraged to contact Alana Wong or Afreen Ghouse at the contact information below. They will be the primary points of contact for students and will be available to support students throughout the implementation of their initiatives.

Alana graduated from Brock University in 2018 with a BSc in Biochemistry (co-op). After completing several co-op work terms in the pharmaceutical industry, her interests shifted towards the environmental sciences. She completed her undergraduate research project studying the effects of different soil amendments on plant growth and silica levels in cover crops and grapes, and also worked on the organization and digitalization of the Brock University Herbarium. More recently, Alana has completed her Master of Environmental Science at the University of Toronto, and is now working as a member of the Halton Climate Collective, focusing on engaging youth to drive climate action in the community of Halton to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change. Outside of school and work, Alana loves the outdoors and is an avid athlete, playing provincial level soccer as well as many other recreational sports, coaching kids’ soccer, and watching sports in her free time.

Afreen obtained a B.Sc. in Biology, with a minor in Psychology at Ryerson University. She co-founded Ryerson in Support of Red Cross to fundraise for global humanitarian issues and raise awareness for causes such as mental health, and food insecurity. After graduating, she volunteered with Halton Environmental Network to organize 5, 100 Debates on the Environment, one of which involved brainstorming a climate themed question with high school students to ask political candidates. Upon seeing their enthusiasm, she now aspires to be an advocate for the younger generation and provide them with the voice and necessary tools for climate action change. Utilizing her strength in event planning and passion for the environment, she hopes to engage communities in an interactive way to promote this message while working with Halton Climate Collective. She enjoys volunteering, reading books and anything superhero themed.