Combating climate change by educating young minds on environmental studies

Students take on climate change challenge High school students got a lesson in climate change from both experts and their peers. Ashley Bacon has the story.

High school students in Guelph faced off Monday in a climate change showdown.

The Community Environmental Leadership Program, also known as CELP, hosted 150 Grade 9 students at the University of Guelph’s Arboretum Centre for a hands-on lesson.

“We need to just kind of accept that there is a problem, and we need to realize that we need to make change right now,” said program participant Mowat Kim.

CELP is an experiential learning program focused on environmental leadership.

Kaite Gad, a teacher with the program, said they’re already seeing the effects of climate change at the Arboretum.

“In terms of just the impacts on different species, and on the trees and plants here and over the long-term, I’m hoping that the students get a message of hope, that they can do something and that they can certainly take action,” Gad explained.

During the team challenges, students learned about food waste, the Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations, invasive species and ways to identify native trees.

It wasn’t just teachers and staff sharing their knowledge. Some Grade 10 students were also mentoring their younger peers.

“I’ll be running the Grade 9s through how to contact and what you might say to a politician if you want to inspire change in the government,” Kim said.

“It’s important that we spread the word and get knowledgeable about it as soon and as we can because young people are the future,” explained CELP student leader Zoelle Girardi-Barrett.

Participants like Avery Sutherland welcomed the environmental challenge.

“I’ll be able to learn about climate change and try to help solve it even more. Then I can and take the steps that are necessary for the evolution of this planet,” she told CTV News.

Administrators said this model leaves a lasting impact on participants.

“It’s way more powerful than hearing from us teachers,” Gad explained. “We have that peer modeling and that role modeling of the importance of taking action and the importance of actually caring about what’s happening in our environment and with our world.”