Why We Do This Tour: Hope
Dawson City in the Yukon used to be the largest city in North America. At one point during the Gold Rush, Dawson City housed over 30,000 people: the population of…
Future We Want Canada: Food Waste
The Issue. According to the UN, a third of the food produced in the world –1.3 billion tonnes— is lost or wasted each year. Canada isn’t an exception. In fact,…
The Challenge: Back My Generation. Now.
How our mentor, Kat challenged her students to think about the impact in their action projects. And her final challenge to us. The next step is impact analysis. Students are…
You and What Army?
“Do you have a community that stands behind what you stand for? And if you do, you’ll have more power. And if you don’t, you won’t.” – Barack Obama The…
What is Meaningful Youth Engagement?
How our mentor, Kat taught the adults in the room the importance of taking a step back and allowing our young people to lead. Before we get into the second step of…
All You Need Is Love (and a Plan)
How our mentor, Kat taught students the importance of rooting work in something you love to really make a lasting impact. The first step of mentorship is research. Students begin searching…
From Idea to Impact
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Hi readers, my name is Kat and I’m a mentor for the 3% Project! After the assembly, Steve…
The Last Generation
Ever wonder what I do as a UN policy advocate? Read my speech from last year’s UN High-level Political Forum. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. My name is Steve…
The Lion that is Hope
“Once we start to act, hope is everywhere.” - Greta Thunberg, 15 year old activist. Lion's Head is halfway between Owen Sound and Tobermory. It's a tourism town for canoeing,…
Fishing for Young Leaders on Campobello Island
How a group of youth on Campobello Island are leading the way on climate solutions, and why we need a focus on solutions. Campobello Island is southwest of New Brunswick.…
Our Troubled Indigenous Past and Its Legacy
“We want our dignity back,” says an Indigenous educator in Whitedog, Manitoba. I visited the Wabaseemoong Independent Nations (“Whitedog”) in Northern Ontario in early May. Once I arrived at the…
A Reflection on the Whys and Hows
“There's no such thing as a morality project, or an ethics project; everything is supposed to be moral and ethical. Same thing with sustainability; everything is supposed to be sustainable.”…
A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand
“Do you have a community that stands behind what you stand for? And if you do, you'll have more power. And if you don't, you won't.” - Barack Obama Disclaimer:…
A True Canadian Hero: The Educator
"Once I came back and saw the situation and the students, I could not leave them and go back. My bones will be buried here in Nelson House raising the…
Boycotting Participation Trophies
Why feel-good, low-impact ‘gold star’ student projects will result in a more cynical, jaded, indifferent generation. In a rural town in Manitoba, I discussed a student-led volleyball tournament fundraiser for…
The Canadian Farmer’s Story
"What's the life of a farmer like?" I asked. "How much time have you got?" he replied, taking a deep breath. A conversation with two elderly farmers from a rural…
A Conversation I’ll Remember For the Rest of My Life
“What is our community, and how might that community be reconciled with our freedom? How far do our obligations reach? How do we transform mere power into justice, mere sentiment…
Why Altruism is (Mostly) Overrated
166 residents live in Lomond, a farming town: one of the smallest towns I’ve visited. So, moment of truth: What were the students like? Well, they were beyond my wildest…
Visiting Canada’s True North, Strong and Free: Part 2
Diamond Jenness is a rural school located in Hay River, a town of three thousand residents whose main industries are hunting and diamond mining. Despite being a small school, the…
Visiting Canada’s True North, Strong and Free: Part 1
At four in the morning, I started driving from Fort River, Alberta to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. An hour before arriving in Yellowknife, my car slipped on ice and fell into…
What’s in a Teacher?
igenou First, meet Warren Lake. He’s an environmental science educator at the school. He’s received international awards, given TED talks on pedagogical approaches to nature education, and published articles and…
Ahousat: Resilience, Love, and Hope
igenou Ahousat is an island accessible only by water or air, off the coast of Vancouver Island. It's an island with a predominantly Indigenous Nuu-chah-nulth Nation population of 2,100. After…
Going from Project to Impact
Hello, Prince of Wales Secondary! “How do we move away from fossil fuel? How is it fair that climate change disproportionately affects developing states who did the least to cause…
Sowing Seeds of Sustainability
Hello again, Kumsheen Secondary! What is an action project? At every school, we challenge students to solve their community’s biggest sustainability challenge. We help students analyze and develop solutions to…
A Glimpse Into The Future We Want
Mamma mia, here we go again: Hello, Brookswood Secondary! An Indigenous teacher opened the assembly. I had 70 minutes. Students signed up to be at the assembly. It was exam…
Hello, from Nechako Valley!
After the assembly, I talked with some student leaders. They’ve run a successful e-waste drive and have a water walk coming up for the school’s Water Week. “What is the…
Hello, from Smithers!
Visiting the town’s local high school, I witnessed tremendous potential for youth action. Over the last six years, teachers and students have started environmental initiatives that are unlike anything I’ve…