An initiative of the Fraser Basin Council is giving young people in the Fraser Valley and beyond an opportunity to collaborate toward climate action in their communities.
The initiative, called Co-Creating a Sustainable BC (CCSBC), has been bringing together youth ages 16 to 30 since 2019 with the goal of taking climate action at the community and regional level.
The program creates cohorts of youth in different regions across the province, connecting them with like-minded peers to build bonds and collaborate toward a common goal.
The cohorts receive seed funding to make their project ideas a reality.
ALSO SEE: Climate change report a grim warning for Canada
Participants learn about sustainability from different perspectives, examine gaps in their own communities, connect with local sustainability leaders and organizations, and work together to implement a project to take action on the issues that matter most to them in their communities.
There are limited spots available for the all-expenses-paid program.
Youth of all knowledge levels are welcome to participate, and applicants don’t need to be sustainability experts.
Over the past three years, CCSBC cohorts have put together several projects across B.C., including one in the Fraser Valley that was spurred by the need to address the heat wave and flood events of 2021.
Participants developed a resource booklet earlier this year that shares simple and low-tech solutions accessible to everyone for extreme-weather events.
Another local project that developed was Waste Free Fraser Valley, which includes a website and video to educate others on the urgent issue of waste and its harmful impacts in the region, as well as promoting every-day waste-friendly practices.
Visit fbcyouthprogram.ca/ccsbc for more information on CCSBC or for an application link
ALSO SEE: Climate change investments now reduce future costs, report find