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March 2008 E-news
Youth Advisory Committee
Call-out
Become a member of the Youth Advisory Committee or a Youth Mentor!
Are you a youth age 13 -17 who is passionate about the environment? Would you like to take your interest to the next level? The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) wants YOU to apply to become either a new YAC member or a Youth Mentor. You could help guide Green Street, its Youth Engagement Program, and its environmental education Program Providers in offering credible, accessible and affordable programs that are relevant to students’ concerns, curriculum-linked, encourage a sense of personal responsibility for the environment, foster a commitment to sustainable living, and promote an enduring dedication to environmental stewardship.
What would I have to do?
1) Youth Advisory Committee Members
The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) is a group of 6-8 high school students from across Canada that act as the youth voice in shaping Green-Street. As a YAC member, you would:
- Make decisions about the best way to promote youth engagement in environmental stewardship with other members of the YAC through monthly conference calls
- Help develop the Youth Action Centre select articles for the E-newsletter and youth directed Green-Street marketing materials,
- Represent the ideas and interests of youth through participating in national Green-Street Steering Committee meetings and conferences.
2) Youth Mentors
The current Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) has developed a new program to bridge the gap between the YAC and organizations known as “Program Providers” that currently offer Green Street certified programs for kids and youth. Youth Mentors will act as consultants on effective youth programming to a GS Provider whose programs they have been involved in and keep the YAC up to date on their Provider’s programs, events and opportunities.
As a Youth Mentor, you would:
- Contribute articles, images, and cool links to the e-news.
- Participate in online discussion so that YAC members can better represent the vision of young leaders across the country.
- Offer suggestions to your local GS Provider to help them develop fun and effective youth environmental education programs
- Attend cool events and conferences with staff and volunteers from your Provider organization, promoting GS and the Youth Engagement Program
How would I benefit from being involved?
As either a Youth Mentor or Youth Advisory Committee member, you will have the opportunity to have your voice, ideas and concerns heard across Canada. You will also gain valuable experience and insight, along with credit for volunteer hours for graduation requirements and a reference letter for jobs and scholarships!
How can I get Involved?
Download, fill in and email us the following application form, available as PDF.
You can apply to be either a YAC member or a Youth Mentor, or be considered for both. YAC applicants do not have to be currently involved with a Green Street Program, but Youth Mentors will need a staff member from the Green Street Program Provider you are involved with to endorse you by sending in the nomination form on page 3.
Pembina Youth Leadership Program
GreenLearning is pleased to announce that a new Pembina Foundation program is now up and running! GreenLearning has been developing a Youth Leadership Program for the last two years, from the research phase through to program design and securing funding. They are working in collaboration with the Pearson Seminar on Youth Leadership to create a youth leadership program that will be unique in Canada.
Who can take part?
Youth aged 18 to 24 will gain accredited experiential leadership training in sustainability, with the first semester to be piloted in early 2009. GreenLearning is currently hiring a youth intern to assist with market research for the program. Funded through Green Street, the intern will receive a $1000 honorarium to complete the project by March 30, 2008.
Looking for more info
For information about this exciting new program, contact Youth Leadership Program Director, Nadine Raynolds.
International Co-operation: New Brunswick youth get the word out
By Alison Shurvell
Ever heard about the Millennium Development Goals?
During International Development Week (Feb 3-9, 2008), a week designated by the United Nations to get the word out about international development efforts, a small group of students from Carleton North High School decided that not enough people in New Brunswick have heard about the Millennium Development Goals. And they decided to do something about it.
With the support of the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation, Falls Brook Centre, and the Canadian International Development Agency, the teens participated in a workshop to learn more about the Millennium Development Goals, and then set out to create a short public service announcement (PSA) about what they’d learned. The PSA is set to air on local New Brunswick stations in the coming weeks, with the hope that more people, especially youth, will get informed, and get involved in international cooperation efforts!
Interested in learning more?
Watch for our PSA on local NB stations, or check out: www.un.org/millenniumgoals.
The Millennium Development Goals
- Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
- Achieve universal primary education
- Promote gender equality and empower women
- Reduce child mortality
- Improve maternal health
- Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
- Ensure environmental sustainability
- Build a global partnership for development
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National French Essay Contest
French for the Future, in partnership with the University of Ottawa and Apathy is Boring is proud to launch its third annual national essay contest. Grade 10, 11 and 12 students (Cycle 2 (Secondary IV and V) in Quebec) French First Language (FFL) and French Second Language (FSL) students from across Canada are invited to write a maximum 1000 word essay, in French, that deals with the subject of youth voter apathy.
The winner will receive a $20,000 Scholarship to University of Ottawa.
When’s the deadline?
March 18th, 2008
Interested?
Check out www.french-future.org for more info.
International competition for video clips – “Festival VidéEau”
The Festival VidéEau is an international competition for video clips organized by the International Secretariat for Water (ISW), in preparation for the International "Water and Film" Events that will take place in Istanbul in 2009, as part of the 5th World Water Forum.
The Festival VidéEau invites young people aged from 17 to 30, to submit 90 second or shorter video clips on the theme "Water, People and Sustainable Development". The winners of the competition will be announced at a prize-giving ceremony to be held during the World Youth Congress, taking place in Quebec City, Canada, from 10 to 21 August 2008. The winners of the Festival VidéEau will automatically be selected for the official competition of the International "Water and Film" Events. The prizes for the three winning clips will be:
What can you win?
First prize: 2000$US
Second prize: 1500$US
Third prize: 1000$US
When’s the deadline?
June 15, 2008
Want more info
For further information, go to www.sie-isw.org or contact: Marianne Strauss, International Secretariat for Water at mstrauss@sie-isw.org.
YOUCAN's YouthQUAKE in May 2008
(Deadline: March 21st, 2008)
This will be 3 weeks of YOUCAN training, workshops, cultural events and more. Each week will see 120 youth from across Canada come to Ottawa to the Terry Fox Youth Centre. Our fabulous trainers will spend the week with you and help you develop the skills needed to bring cross-cultural conflict resolution workshops back to your community. You will meet youth from all over Canada and have time to get to know one another in this great facility.
When’s the deadline?
Registration is now open and our Deadline is March 21st.
More info please!
Registration information can be downloaded from www.youcan.ca/pages/national-conference--youthquake-2008.php.
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