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VANCOUVER – Twenty-five secondary students from Greater Vancouver were among those who took part in the development of a youth-inspired vision to achieve a sustainable future for the region. The students presented their vision to Premier Gordon Campbell today at the Vancouver Aquarium, where they had the opportunity to engage in an informal discussion about what is important to youth in the areas of the environment, society and the economy.
“I am delighted that these exceptional 15 to 17 year olds are taking a leadership role to develop a more sustainable future for their communities,” said Premier Campbell. “British Columbia’s young people are its future. Providing a forum for youth to have their voice heard is important, particularly as we strive to make our province more sustainable for generations to come.”
Sustainability in Schools is part of 30 Days of Sustainability, Western Canada’s first major sustainability program, which promotes sustainable living.
“We live in a time when putting our youth first is more important than ever,” said Tom Osdoba, chair of 30 Days of Sustainability. “In this program, they have a chance to give us some direction about the world they are inheriting. They must do this and we must listen.”
The project was facilitated by Real Living Solutions, a local sustainability consultancy that helps municipalities and governments articulate their community vision with strategy mapping software. Over the past month, youth from several municipalities attended planning sessions where experienced facilitators guided students through a step-by-step planning process to create a vision, goals and strategies. The youth then returned to school, where they consulted with their peers and further developed the plan, which addresses critical sustainability issues such as city planning, infrastructure, energy, climate change, smart buildings, transit, education, economy, health, well-being, taxation and homelessness.
“We are honored that Premier Campbell took the time to meet with our youth representatives today,” said Colin Grant, founder and CEO of Real Living Solutions. “These students are outstanding citizens who have wholeheartedly taken ideas on sustainability, put a youth spin on them, and offered insights that we otherwise wouldn’t have had. Today’s youth are the most technology-savvy demographic in the world and it is our hope that Greater Vancouver will lead the way in setting an example for youth in the rest of Canada and abroad.”
According to Grant, the communication toolkit will be used as a pilot project to launch a global program later in the year that will inspire youth around the world to create their own visions for a greener future in the communities where they live.
The final communication framework is encapsulated as an interactive dashboard online at www.kidscandoitbetter.org. In addition to showcasing the students’ plan in a visual and streamlined format, the website includes a forum and blog for youth to discuss issues that matter in their region.
The annual celebration called 30 Days of Sustainability (www.30daysofsustainability.com) is organized and produced under the stewardship of 30 Days of Sustainability Society. The Society fosters dialogue among diverse constituents, creating opportunities to integrate sustainable living principles and practices, encouraging individual and collective action and developing tools to monitor the community’s progress toward long-term sustainability.
This year marked the first year of Turn It Off BC!, a provincewide initiative that successfully encouraged consumers to save energy at home and at work for one day. The program resulted in 70 megawatts or 1.2 million incandescent light bulbs being turned off for the entire evening between peak times of 7 and 9 p.m.
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contact: |
Press Secretary Office of the Premier 250 213-8218 |
Epic Public Relations Inc. 604 732-6221 maria@epicpr.ca |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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