Summer 2024

Youth Climate Leadership Initiative

About the Initiative

The Youth Climate Leadership Initiative (YCLI) is a six week series of gatherings for high school aged youth to learn and talk about climate change in Northwestern Ontario. YCLI will connect youth who are passionate about environmental and social issues, host workshops by local climate action leaders, and give space for youth to provide climate safe and just futures.

YCLI will run from July 4 to August 20. Students will be offered volunteer hours for their involvement. Participation in each workshop is not mandatory to join. Check out the events calendar below, and register for the initiative here or by emailing nwclimategathering@gmail.com.

Event Schedule

July 4: Taking climate action at school - Mary J. L. Black Library, 1:00-4:00 pm

July 11: Climate emotions circle - Lakehead University, 1:00-4:00 pm

July 15: Shoreline restoration tour - Waverley Library, 1:00-4:00 pm

July 21: The power of a story - Lakehead University, 1:00-4:00 pm

July 27: Invasive species workshop - Lakehead University, 1:00-4:00 pm

July 31: Bean bonding - County Park Library, 1:00-4:00 pm

August 6: Donning Nature (art workshop) - Brodie Library, 1:00-4:00 pm

August 8: Sustainability walk - Lakehead University, 1:00-4:00 pm

August 20: Forest therapy walk - Centennial Park, 1:00-4:00 pm

Other Youth Opportunities

Are you a youth looking to join or start a project related to sustainability and climate change? The Northwest Climate Gathering would love to support you! Contact us for support with project planning and getting connected to relevant resources and contacts. Volunteer hours will be provided for projects done in partnership with the Northwest Climate Gathering.

Want to help with our project ideas? Let us know! Potential opportunities include:

Podcasting: hosting, producing, editing, music, cover art
Blogging
Art initiatives

Email us

Meet the Project Team

Keira Essex

YOUTH CLIMATE LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE COORDINATOR
Keira is a climate activist and artist of settler-Anishinaabe heritage. She is entering the fourth year of Lakehead University’s bachelor of environmental studies (geography major) program. She started organizing for climate justice when she joined Fridays for Future Thunder Bay in 2019 and has been passionate about youth-led climate action since.
Heather McLeod

STEERING COMMITTEE
Heather McLeod has been community organizing since she was eleven, raised in social activism by her parents. She brings creativity and pragmatic planning skills to addressing the climate crisis and its roots in colonialism. Heather is a songwriter of many albums, award-winning documentary journalist and former CBC radio host, financial planner and responsible investing specialist, farmer, bee-keeper and published children's author too. Her podcast Something Different This Way Comes focuses on people in Northwestern Ontario and ideas from around the world that give her hopes worth amplifying. She is a proud steering committee member of the Northwest Climate Gathering.
Kevin Brooks

STEERING COMMITTEE
Kevin is a Social Justice Studies Program Advisor at Lakehead University specializing in Community Organizing.
Seshowepo Avoseh

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
Sesh is a Masters of Social Justice students at Lakehead university. Sesh has joined the Northwest Climate Gathering to share knowledge and skills on how social media is used for social justice organizing.