Program Overview:
As Canada confronts the repercussions of the climate crisis, marked by events such as record-setting heat waves, wildfires, flooding, and melting sea ice, an increasing number of Canadians are experiencing a correlated rise in mental health challenges. Young people, in particular, often experience emotions of anxiety, fear, helplessness, and other intense feelings that match the scale of the climate crisis.
At Break The Divide, we believe connection is a crucial element of climate action. Our Climate Emotions Program equips young people with resources to understand their climate emotions, and connects communities with one another to build resilience and share knowledge amidst the climate crisis.
How We Do It:
Our Climate Emotions Program pairs and connects high schools across Canada to undergo a 4-month educational and story-telling program to better understand local impacts of climate change, and share emotions about those impacts. Students are then tasked with learning from one another’s communities and working together to undertake an initiative designed to combat a problem they discovered through conversation. This program, launching in February 2024 will connect 14 schools, engaging over 300 students.Â
Program Highlights
The BTD Climate Emotions campaign aims to contribute to the growing awareness of climate mental health and to support youth in understanding and working with their climate emotions, instead of against them.
- A free and virtual 4-month program (from February to April 2024) connecting high-school students from two different communities across Canada together in a discussion of climate change, mental health, and community action (e.g., Saskatoon with Halifax, Iqaluit with Toronto, Montreal with Tsawwassen First Nation).
- Includes 7 hybrid sessions with age-appropriate educational resources covering different climate-related themes (e.g., environmental identity, climate emotions) lasting 45-60 minutes each.
- Each session will be guided and facilitated by a Break The Divide team member requiring low commitment from the school staff.
- Builds knowledge, empathy, and action on climate change and mental health by providing resources to build emotional resilience to take local climate action.
- Provides students with access to resources and sessions by a certified mental health professional to support the education and healing process.
- Provides completion certificates to participants at the end of the program.
Our Program Timeline
Our goal with the Climate Emotions program is to bring youth from apathy to empathy to action. We believe in the power of connection, communication, and creating change. We invite you to join us on this journey!
Connect with teachers and volunteers. Have introductory meetings to introduce the programme and materials.
Students will learn about their personal and communal environmental identities, as well as how they intersect. Session 2 will be the first connection with the partner school.
Students will be introduced to the topic of climate emotions and climate mental health. They will continue to connect with their partner school and learn ways to understand and work with their emotions while taking climate action.
The final sessions of the program involve reflection on all that has been shared and learned. Students will have their final connection with their partner school.
Ready to Make a Difference?
If you are a school representative or a student who wants to bring the Climate Emotions program to your high school, then register your school today through our Google Form. You can also learn more about the program here.
If you’re a youth activist, a member of the public, or a student who’s ready to take the initiative, we’d love to hear from you. You can apply to become a volunteer facilitator for the Climate Emotions program through our Registration Form. You can learn more about being a volunteer facilitator for the Climate Emotions program here.
Reach Out to Aria to Learn More
Program Manager – Climate Emotions Programprograms@breakthedivide.net(437) 988-6109If you’re interested in learning more about the Climate Emotions Program or would like to apply, attend Aria’s officer hours by clicking this link or email her at programs@breakthedivide.net.
