Some Saskatoon students are hoping to get the attention of the province's policymakers through a series of youth speakers to raise awareness about the effects of climate change.
The series aims to engage children across the city and province to push policymakers and school departments to make meaningful decisions on environmental issues.
Summer Williams, one of the students who spoke to an enthusiastic crowd of classmates, said her concerns stemmed from participating in an outdoor learning course, which she said gave her a new perspective on what was happening around her.
“From that point on, I really just wanted to do something for our planet, because if you look around, this is what the Earth has given us. It’s beautiful,” Williams said. “Why are we treating it so cruelly?”
Students led discussions about climate change and hope for the future.
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As the impacts of climate change reach her generation, she hopes to engage governments at multiple levels about what young people want for their future.
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“We are working for our future, so if we really care about it and we want to live the way we want to live, then we need to start paying attention to climate change now, rather than putting it off.”
Other students expressed similar sentiments about the need for change in order to lead a healthy lifestyle.
“Hopefully our voices will be heard and they will finally understand why we do this and the reasoning behind it,” said student Leia Dustyhorn.
Saskatoon teacher Michael Preble says the next generation of community leaders is using what they learn in the classroom to fight for change.
“There will be a series of lectures throughout this year and into next year designed to help educate the public about climate change and what’s happening with it,” Preble said.
While Preble said he teaches a balanced perspective in his classes, students are ultimately in the driver’s seat and have the freedom to think about the issues that matter most to them.
“It’s nice to have these programs that allow them to get out there and understand that these things we learn aren’t just on paper or in the classroom,” he said. “They can go out into the real world and have an impact, too.”
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