This campaign is to support our inaugural public Unconference* of Hope and Bold School Climate Action in Hamilton, April 3rd to 6th, 2024. We are aiming for 400 in-person participants including students, teachers, administrators, parents, facilities and operations staff, Board staff/trustees, and local community and industry leaders.

We need to show our youth and our schools that there is a huge community of support for their important work to create whole-school climate action. 

Our youth are experiencing significant mental health impacts as the climate crisis deepens.

Last January, a survey was released on the attitudes and beliefs of Canadian youth regarding the Climate Crisis. The results included:

• Almost half of young Canadians surveyed believe humanity is doomed.
• 4 out of 10 reported that their feelings about climate change negatively affect their daily lives. 
• 71% felt angry. 
• 69% felt abandoned by their governments.
• A significant number, 39%, were hesitant to have children. 

One can only imagine how the record-breaking climate events of the last year in Canada and around the world have worsened these numbers.

Our schools need support, leadership, and inspiration.

Last November, a research team at Lakehead University published a report on climate action in public school boards across Canada. Here is a short excerpt from their media release: 

“...[the report] revealed a mixed landscape where progress is limited but the potential for impact is immense. 

• Only four school boards in Canada [of 380] had published Climate Action Plans: Toronto District School Board, Trillium Lakelands District School Board, Richmond School District, and Greater Victoria School District.

• Five school boards have environmental and sustainability plans, and nine have strategic plans that mention climate change or greenhouse gas reductions.”

Earlier in 2023 a different study pointed to the significant lack of climate change education in the provincial and territorial curriculum.

These three reports demonstrate that the vast majority of students are not learning about the climate crisis, and they are not seeing their schools take steps to adapt to the changing climate nor contribute to the local, regional and national goals to reduce carbon emissions, enhance biodiversity or contribute to other local environmental priorities.

Since our founding in 2020, we have been focussed on building capacity and inspiring bold, hope-filled, climate action in and through elementary and secondary schools. In 2022 we launched a pilot program for whole school climate action called the Climate Action Accelerator Program (CAAP) with 20 schools in 5 provinces. 

Underpinning this program are the themes of regeneration, hope and intergenerational action.

• Regeneration is about reaching beyond “sustainability” to restore and regenerate what has been harmed, and create a thriving future for all. 
• Hope is about choosing to change the narrative from doomism to stories of how people across the world are working together to support nature and its powerful forces of self-healing. It is also about helping each other choose each day to believe we too can make a positive difference.

Intergenerational action is about working together across the generations to make our communities healthier, safe, thriving places to live, work, learn and play. Youth are asking for action, and to be involved like no generation before them. We must answer their call.