Youth Program
Engaging Youth in the Environment
The Alberta Emerald Foundation (AEF) is committed to recognizing, celebrating and inspiring environmental excellence in our province. Our major annual program, The Emerald Awards, celebrate outstanding achievements by Albertans committed to protecting, preserving, enhancing and sustaining our environment. In short, the Emerald Awards recognize our province’s environmental heroes.
In 2008, the AEF conducted a series of interviews, surveys and stakeholder meetings that resulted in a report that outlined opportunities for engaging Alberta’s youth. The key message from the report was that Alberta needs more youth engagement in environmental action.
The AEF believes there is much to be done in engaging youth in the environment, supporting them in their environmental efforts and inspiring the next generation of environmental heroes. We are now taking steps to engage youth in our province through a variety of programs and projects:
Emerald Intern Program
Goal: $50,000 per year
Launched in 2008 with seed funding from EPCOR and the Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation, the Emerald Intern Program allows for a mentoring and employment position for a post-secondary student. This training and learning experience not only benefits the Intern, but helps by building capacity within the AEF. Presently, the Intern program runs for nine months of the year, with the Intern starting their tenure on a part-time basis in January each year and then shifting to full-time work from April until September.
Youth Environmental Engagement Grant Program
Goal: $100,000 per year
With start-up funds from ConocoPhillips Canada and an additional boost from the Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation, the AEF has developed a program that supports and encourages the grassroots examples of environmental excellence that are taking place in schools, classrooms, clubs and organizations throughout the province. This program launched in the autumn of 2009, and provides micro-grants of up to $400 to youth-led and youth-targeted environmental projects.
Presently, we have funds in place to provide up to 100 micro-grants throughout the province each year until 2012, but as we hope to reach more groups and projects, we would very much like to grow this fund so as to support 150 or even 200 projects each year. Program sponsors are invited to join us in the delivery of grants to schools and groups, participating in cheque presentations and receiving reports from recipients.
Emerald Speakers Series
Goal: $50,000 per year
While the Alberta Emerald Foundation has a strong presence in Edmonton and Calgary, there is still great opportunity to reach other communities within the province and engage their young people in environmental stewardship. The AEF would like to establish a Speaker Series or “road show”, which would feature a high profile speaker as well as local “eco-celebrities” (Emerald Award finalists and recipients) who would discuss timely issues as well as their own environmental projects. In addition to the presentations, these sessions would include ample opportunities for networking and sharing.
Targeted Communications Strategy
Goal: $100,000 per year
As the AEF works to build its communications efforts – sharing stories that will inspire environmental excellence, we have developed a strategic communications plan which will begin in the spring of 2010. A major component of this plan is targeting our communications efforts to Alberta’s youth. Specific tactics within this strategy include:
- Educational Videos that profile the finalists of the annual Emerald Awards. These videos bring the projects to life, rather than just text describing a project. Since 2008, nearly sixty videos have been created thanks to support from Enbridge.
- Website Upgrades will make the AEF website more user-friendly as well as interactive. A total website overhaul, including improvements to our online searchable database as well as the addition of an interactive “share your story” component is planned for Spring 2010.
- Enhanced Communications including the creation of materials that will support the sharing of inspiring stories and celebrate the accomplishments of environmental heroes. Ideas for these communications include the creation of a magazine, an e-zine and the broadcasting of PSAs and documentaries profiling Alberta’s environmental heroes.
Youth at the Emerald Awards
Goal: $25,000 per year
The AEF has realized that often our finalists in the Youth Category for the annual Emerald Awards face challenges in attending the event. In short, due to limited resources, finalists in the Youth Category often struggle to make the trip to the awards show. The AEF would like to be able to offer an allowance to cover travel costs to bring the youth finalists and a chaperone to the Emerald Awards host city (alternates between Edmonton and Calgary). Also, the AEF would like to be able to offer a cash reward of $5,000 for recipients of the Emerald Award for the Youth Category, and possibly a smaller amount for the finalists. These funds would serve to reward good work and encourage continued environmental excellence by providing financial support.
Other Engaging Ideas
Goal: TBD
There are countless other ideas for projects and programs that will help in engaging young people in environmental stewardship. If you have an idea for a project, we’d be pleased to discuss it with you.
Return on Investment:
By investing in the Engaging Youth in the Environment Program, you will be playing a key part in helping to accomplish the following goals:
1. Reaching youth with examples of hope, by not only telling them about positive environmental work occurring in Alberta, but also showing them this work in action using real-life visuals created about real-life people making a difference.
2. Sharing and showcasing environmental initiatives, through youth-friendly media, will demonstrate that both large and small acts lead to positive environmental outcomes.
3. Supporting grassroots projects that are initiated by young people, giving them the boost they need to get their project off the ground.
4. Raising awareness on a broad public level of the innovative and leading edge environmental work being undertaken in our province by young people.
Recognizing your support:
Sponsorship at the Emerald Leader level entitles you to the Emerald Leader level of recognition (details available upon request). In addition, as a public forum, the various components of the Engaging Youth in the Environment initiative offer unique opportunities for recognition beyond the normal sponsor program.
Join us as an Emerald Leader in support of our Engaging Youth in the Environment Program. For more information, please call Ms. Emmy Stuebing, Executive Director, Alberta Emerald Foundation at (780) 413.9629 or e-mail: emmy@emeraldfoundation.ca.