Fourth Annual Youth Climate Action Summit held November 12th

Youth Led Summit Prepares Future Leaders!

Kingston – The current state of the climate crisis can make it easy for some to feel like giving up, but the 85 students in attendance at the fourth annual Youth Climate Action Summit (YCAS) on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, were ready to take action.

Youth from 19 school and community groups from across the greater Frontenac Arch Biosphere Region – Kingston to Prescot – gathered at the Kingston Frontenac Public Library (Central Branch) to learn and collaborate on topics related to climate action, adaptation and mitigation. The Summit is a unique opportunity for youth to connect with both leaders and mentors in the environmental sector as well as other students advocating for climate action.

The day opened with a keynote by Dan Hendry (TEDx speaker and local public transit advocate) and Cedric Pepelea (local energy efficiency entrepreneur), who spoke about doing what you can, where you are and how to connect to larger networks of climate champions. Students then had the opportunity to attend two workshops of their choosing, topics included energy efficiency, artistic expressions, fundraising techniques, nature therapy, creative communications, saving and sharing seeds, safe cycling, and planting pocket forests in the spirit of the Mik’maw concept of Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing).

Panelists from a breadth of regional and provincial sectors spoke to attendees on opportunities that led them to the career path they’re on today. “It’s time to consider every job, an environmental sector job,” stated one panellist in response to students inquiring about post-secondary opportunities.

Dr. Kyla Tienhaara, representing Seniors for Climate Action Now, encouraged all students to listen to the words of Ayana Elizabeth Johnson (TEDx speaker and co-creator of How to Save a Planet) who created the climate action Venn diagram to help individuals discover what they can do to help address the climate crisis.

The Summit also included a collaborative work session, where students started their own Climate Action Plans (CAPs) for implementation during the remainder of the school year. The Library was charged with lively discussion and knowledge-sharing as students exchanged ideas on ways to address the climate challenges in their school and community. Everyone was encouraged to make their Climate Action Plan a reality, and students can apply for up to $500 in seed funding to help implement their Climate Action Plan.

“Young people are understandably worried about their futures. The Youth Climate Action Summit helps empower them and shows them that high school students can have a positive impact in their communities”, says Shannon Lem, FABN’s Executive Director.

The Summit concluded with a moving poetry reading by Sarah Tsawentehs Brown-Dunkley, a Kanienʼkéha (Mohawk) Turtle Clan woman, social worker and teacher from Tyendinaga Territory, leaving attendees grounded and motivated to explore their environmental responsibilities.

Although the event is coordinated by the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Network (FABN) in partnership with the Kingston Frontenac Public Library, the success of the Summit is credited to the Kingston Youth Climate Council and YCAS Planning Committee youth volunteers who ensured that this was for youth, by youth.

The Youth Climate Program that inspired YCAS is based in the Adirondacks at The Wild Centre which offered their first summit in 2009. FABN was fortunate to visit The Wild Centre with youth from across Eastern Ontario this past summer to attend the Youth Climate Connections Retreat as part of our ongoing relationship with the Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Network.

YCAS is a testament to the power of youth engagement in addressing global issues. This year’s event would not have been possible without the generous support of the Community Foundation for Kingston and Area (CFKA), The Davies Foundation and the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Foundation.

More information about FABN and YCAS can be found at frontenacarchbiosphere.ca/event/youth-climate-action/.