More than 700 Central Okanagan students and teachers recently took part in the Climate Action Ripple Effect (CARE) program to learn about climate change.
The project, which gives students the chance to come up with solutions to climate change started in Vernon in 2022. This is the first time the program was held in Âé¶čAV, West Âé¶čAV, and Lake Country.
âStudents are also preparing to work with community mentors on real-world problems that spark their interests,â said SD23 CARE teacher Aaron Veenstra. âWeâre encouraging students to dream big, and then weâll support them as they take action on issues they really care about.â
To start, the students learned about how climate and how it's related to nature, agriculture, energy, waste, transportation, human health, and culture. Put into teams, the students are looking for greener solutions, while supporting United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and local climate objectives, which is outlined in the City of Âé¶čAV's Climate Resilient Âé¶čAV Strategy.
âThe ripple effect is a powerful tool for climate action,â said CARE founder/coordinator and Fresh Outlook Foundation CEO Jo de Vries. âIn CARE, it starts within students as they learn about climate change and climate action. Waves grow in their classrooms as they collaborate with mentors and teammates. Community-sized ripples are then formed when they talk with their families, friends, and/or workmates about what theyâve learned and how theyâre taking action.â
Middle school students in the Central Okanagan will showcase their projects at the Expo of Awesome on Thursday, May 15. For secondary students, it takes place at the CARE expo in Vernon on May 29.
