Our Plastic Addiction is Choking Our Oceans: How Do We Help?
Plastic pollution is one of the greatest threats our oceans are currently facing, but it is also a problem that can be addressed through simple actions in our daily lives. Developed by a marine biologist with over 15 years of experience in conservation and education, Sea Smart’s mission is to get youth excited about our oceans and empower them to be environmental champions. Join our interactive workshop to learn about how plastic pollution is affecting our oceans, marine life and ultimately impacts humans. We will work together to brainstorm solutions to this threat that we can take on as individuals, and with our families and school. Students will develop projects to reduce plastic pollution within their school or community.
Rethinking PLASTICS Workshop: What’s in Your Sushi?
This workshop will provide a fun, interactive exploratory investigation of the escalating challenge of plastic in the world’s oceans.
Plastic is everywhere, sometimes in surprising places such as tea bags, gum and clothing. The success of plastic is largely based on its amazing durability, but this durability means that plastic never disappears, although it can break down into smaller and smaller micro-sized and nano-sized pieces. Of the plastic discarded on land, a surprisingly large amount makes its way into oceans where it is mistaken for a food source by both marine plants and animals, bringing us to the question What’s in your sushi? Researchers are currently trying to determine precisely how significantly plastic affects food safety and food security for human beings.
Students will investigate what The Five Rs of Sustainability mean in terms of plastic. They provide a simple reminder that we should first REFUSE plastic whenever possible. Then we should REDUCE its use to the greatest extent possible, REUSE plastic when feasible and otherwise REPURPOSE it and finally RECYCLE it as a final option given the many limitations to recycling.
Come and explore ways that students can use plastic more sustainably.
Climate Change and Renewable Energy Workshop: Solutions and Challenges for Canada’s Carbon Crisis
Wondering what role renewable energy has in our fight against climate change? Join the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC) to experiment with hands-on renewable energy models to learn how tidal, hydro, wind, solar, and biofuel power is generated. Discuss the benefits and challenges of each renewable energy, and test your knowledge with our trivia challenges about climate science and Canada’s carbon emission sources. This workshop is an introduction to renewable energy, and welcomes everyone to join our discussion.
Rebekah Parker is an educator with a passion for social and environmental justice, and is the Climate Change and Renewable Energy Workshop Facilitator for SPEC. In the summers she works as a Curriculum Coordinator for Pearson Seminar on Youth Leadership, and currently divides her time working as the Marketing and Communications Officer for UBC’s Mechanical Engineering Department, delivering workshops for SPEC, and substitute teaching at a forest school.
The Plastic Connection
Presenters: Jason Pang & Kate Lu (Richmond Green Ambassadors)
Bio: It takes thousands of years for a plastic bag to degrade, yet Canadians take home over 50 million plastic bags each week! Learn how we can steer away from a plastic-hungry world and creative solutions we can take back to our school to do so. Our workshop will be going over the different plastic labels (#1-7), how our waste is treated in Metro Vancouver and the newly created “single-use item reduction strategy”! With loads of shocking facts and interactive activities, you will BE INSPIRED, MAKE SOME CHANGE, and BE PART of the plastic connection!
Achieving Sustainability by Inspiring Positive Behavioural Change
Workshop Leader: Liliana Segal, Founder & Chief Green Officer – Green Chair Recycling
At Green Chair Recycling, we are making an effort to encourage behavioural changes within our community. The root of our work is to provide a service that focuses on the positive social and environmental impact that individuals are capable of, by inspiring change. Green Chair is a leader in this field, engaging individuals in BC and beyond. Promoting environmental stewardship, providing community education and outreach, to create a shared understanding of the importance of sustainability and how each member of the community can make a positive contribution towards it. We believe that recycling, with the goal of a zero waste lifestyle is an important piece of sustainable living.
Youth 4 Action
Sustainability Action Planning
Have you ever had an issue that you’re passionate about – whether it be waste reduction, raising general awareness about environmental sustainability in schools, or promoting healthy lifestyles – but found it difficult to turn these ideas into action? This workshop aims to build that bridge, by providing effective tools, tips, and tricks for action planning for events, campaigns and other action projects.
* To provide tools for successful and strategic action planning
* To identify key tips for increasing project longevity and sustainability
* To learn how to create a vision, set SMART goals and create a project timeline
* To build an understanding of the process of organizing an event or campaign
* To leave you feeling empowered and ready to take action in your passion area!
Understanding Climate Change
Climate Action Champions is a regional initiative that informs youth about climate change, engages them in local and global issues and solutions, empowers them to take action, and invests in their leadership potential. The workshop engages students’ creative and critical thinking on climate change, understanding causes, consequences, and mitigation and adaptation definitions and actions.
Too Cool for School
Do you want to climate-proof your yard and block while bonding with your classmates? Are you interested in discovering signs of climate change on your school district or your neighbourhood? If so, look no further – join our workshop! Many people are aware of the urgent need to make changes in their lives to improve sustainability and quality of life. Whether you’re interested in increasing access to green space, enhancing the aesthetics of your street, or being more resilient to climate change, this workshop will guide you through some fun activities to learn more about climate change, urban forests and their connections to yourself, your family and your friends, and how climate-proof your home and your school are.