Living the Environment: A conference for Hamilton area youth (2006)

Conference partners

Hamilton Community Foundation: conference organization and management
Mohawk College: venue and food
Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) McMaster: workshops

In October 2006 Hamilton Community Foundation held its second annual environment conference. Students from 26 secondary schools across Hamilton met to learn about environmental issues and plan their own projects to improve the environment.

Environmental conference display board

The conference was planned with the following objectives:

to deepen individuals' knowledge of local environmental issues and connections to national, international, and global links
to introduce students to local resources and experts
to provide an opportunity for networking among students
to support development of leadership skills among young people
to provide information and inspire young people to be involved in the POET Youth Grant process.

Hamilton YAC's co-chairs Photo: The co-chairs of Hamilton's youth advisory committee

The program featured two keynote addresses. One from an exceptional student leader, Alysia Garmulewicz, 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.

The day's workshops, six of which were repeated twice, each featured local environmental leaders and covered the six focuses of the POET Youth Grants program. The addition of a Teachers' Caucus proved to be an appreciated addition.

Twenty-six out of 27 possible area high schools attended with two students and one teacher per school. This large a representation allowed a great deal of interaction and networking among students and teachers.

Outcomes

Students not only learned from Alysia's keynote first thing in the morning but were inspired by what she has accomplished in her life and how she goes about doing it.
Students learned about local environmental issues and activism from the second keynote speaker.
Students were introduced to examples as to how to get involved in school, neighbourhood, and community projects and issues.
Students were able to learn firsthand about important issues from local environmental experts.
Students were given opportunities to network with like-minded students from 25 other high schools.
Students were provided with grantmaking kits to involve them in the POET Youth Grants program.
Students have been provided with a leadership opportunity to initiate a project in their schools, community, or neighbourhood and to apply for a POET Youth Grant by December 1, 2006.


			Background For more details see the original media release.