On June 1, Janet Andrews and I had the pleasure of hosting the EcoYouth Conference at SMUS! Our goal for the conference was to educate youth on local sustainability issues, empower them to take action within our community, and above all, create the beginnings of a youth group dedicated to positive change.
Over spring break, Janet and I had the idea of hosting a conference that included of all schools on Lower Vancouver Island. We were inspired by previous conferences, such as the Brentwood College YesBC Speakers Series Conference and ISABC Student Sustainability Conference, that delicately handled issues from climate change to food scarcity. Those conferences were limited to independent schools but were still building in additional opportunities to meet and connect with like-minded peers after the summit. Janet and I took these experiences and turned them into the ideological foundation of what we wanted the EcoYouth Conference to look like – a place where like-minded people could connect with an emphasis on sharing experiences from all generations and sectors of life.
When we returned from spring break, there was no time to waste. We knew organizing an event of this scale would require a significant time commitment. To be honest, we didn’t know how involved we would have to be. It involved countless e-mails to schools, teacher sponsors and students, creating and sending out registration forms, connecting with presenters, and creating a detailed schedule for the day. It was a lot and came with a fair bit of uncertainty and pressure but the event itself was well worth all the effort.
On the morning of the conference, everything fell wonderfully into place. From 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., speakers Judy Fainstein from YesBC, Ned Taylor as a B.C. Greens Candidate from Saanich South, Jeffrey Gibbs from Global Activators and I shared our experiences in our respective roles and our perspectives on sustainability. With students from Belmont, Brentwood, Glenlyon Norfolk, Mount Doug, Reynolds and SMUS, discussions between presentations were lively and incorporated various perspectives from both independent and public schools.
Janet and I were excited to see young people like us talk about such complex issues with passion. We both recognize the importance of discussing the threat climate change, logging old-growth forests, plastic pollution etc. poses to our planet and how we live. It will be a hot topic in the upcoming years, and while action needs to be taken to solve sustainability issues, it begins with a conversation. Janet and I are proud to be the start of a larger student movement in Victoria, and we were truly inspired by what the conference attendees shared on June 1. Everyone in that room was a youth driven for change, and everyone knew this was only the beginning of our stories. We hope to keep the flame alive by inviting the group to beach cleanups, getting involved in election campaigns, and going on hikes together throughout the summer.
Lastly, we thank our teacher sponsors, Mr. Farish, Mr. Lilly and Ms. Beeston with help from Ms. Kaufmann for their support in this initiative.
Next year, we plan to host another similar conference open to all SMUS students. If you are a student interested in making positive change, watch for this opportunity to get involved in the local community and create connections with like-minded peers and notable public figures. We hope to see you there – or better yet, at the next Sustainability Council meeting in September 2024!
This article was written by Grade 11 student Beatrice Sharpe, a member of the SMUS Sustainability Council.
