Peel Environmental Youth Alliance & Other Youth Environmental Initiatives

I recently wrote this article for Share the Smile !

Maria, our youth facilitator and I at the STEM Fair. 

I believe that youth are the future. For effective environmental change to be made, we must mandate climate education, encourage youth to pursue STEM fields, and enforce stricter legislation on businesses.

As an executive for Peel Environmental Youth Alliance, we engage people of all ages in environmental initiatives to promote sustainability and environmental stewardship. I coordinate digital outreach/communications and contribute to event planning. Last week, I was invited to speak at a panel with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority about actions youth can take to support the climate action movement, and we had great questions. One of them was about how individuals can take action if businesses are often the ones who are creating waste. We talked about the importance of enforcing stricter legislation and making sustainable alternatives accessible to all.

After participating in Mississauga Climate Action’s Earth Strike in September and meeting with its members to discuss our feedback on the City of Mississauga’s Climate Change Action Plan, I, along with fellow student activists at Woodlands Secondary School met with Bonnie Crombie and the City’s environment division. We discussed how we can improve youth engagement and representation in the climate action plan, and enable and empower youth to care about climate action. We focused on youth representation, inclusivity, engagement, climate education, and green infrastructure.

Amongst many topics, we proposed a youth council or program for ward councillors, school boards and members of parliament to meet with youth to talk about climate action, mandating climate education and consultations. For youth inclusivity, we proposed lowering age requirements for environmental volunteer programs and creating leadership roles and volunteer programs for youth to get involved in climate action.

I believe that school boards can use their platform to improve youth engagement with environmental initiatives. I am interested in proposing a Peel EcoSchools Network where youth from each school who lead their eco clubs can communicate with other eco club leaders. Having a network and support for their leadership can strengthen resilience amongst youth eco clubs and biking clubs.

Grace Gong  is an executive for Peel Environmental Youth Alliance, founder of GreenshirtEco and Youth180, works with Fashion Takes Action and is part of the Ontario Nature Youth Council. In July, Grace will be participating in the training for Climate Reality Leadership Corps, a global community of activists who are committed to fighting the climate crisis. Grace will begin studying Health Sciences at Western University in the fall.