During the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic, youth lost many opportunities for human connection. At the height of pandemic restrictions, socializing was limited to digital spaces, and those who were starting new stages in their life – high school, post-secondary education, or full-time work – struggled to build new relationships with their peers. On top of that, the climate crisis continues to impact the mental health of young people, leaving them to deal with feelings of fear, hopelessness, and grief in isolation from others.
Now more than ever, we need spaces for youth to connect with each other, and we need to take action on climate change. The intersection of these needs means that the Youth Environmental Action Network is re-emerging at the perfect time.
The Youth Environmental Action Network, or YEAN, is a collaborative program run by the New Brunswick Environmental Network (NBEN). NBEN is one of the most active environmental networks in what is currently referred to as Canada, and since its establishment in 1991, it has committed itself to improving communication and cooperation between more than 100 environmental organizations in New Brunswick*. The network facilitates communication, provides administrative support, and helps organizations make connections with government, academia, and other sectors in pursuit of environmental protection. NBEN runs two models of programs: caucuses and collaborative groups. Caucuses are formed by NBEN members around specific issues, and currently include topics such as Environmental Rights and Watershed Issues. Their collaborative model is open to all individuals who are interested in working on a particular topic, and includes YEAN.
NBEN has a history of supporting youth, including positions for youth on their steering committee, targeted programming, and an earlier iteration of the Youth Environmental Action Network. The pandemic affected everyone, and while YEAN was put on hold for a while, NBEN is bringing it back at a key moment for both youth and the climate movement. YEAN provides youth the opportunity to build skills in the environmental sector, but more importantly, it encourages youth to form relationships with their peers and professionals. With support from above and support from within, YEAN makes space for young people to learn, network, and grow.
YEAN relaunched in 2023 with monthly meetings and a networking event, but it has started off 2024 with a bang. In February, YEAN hosted “Climate Impacts and Action: How Youth Can Advocate for Their Future.” Proudly supported by The Youth Harbour’s Action Grant, the conference brought together 30 youth from around New Brunswick to connect in-person and participate in a wide variety of learning and engagement activities. From hearing about green jobs from people in the environmental sector, to discussing how climate change is affecting New Brunswick, to beginning their journey in environmental advocacy, participants were introduced not only to a vision of how they can get involved, but also to a group of like-minded, inspired individuals. Being able to build relationships in person has been uncommon since the beginning of the pandemic, but it’s more necessary than ever – something the Youth Environmental Action Network understands and continues to prioritize.
YEAN is already organizing valuable opportunities for New Brunswick youth that are both in-person and hands-on. Apart from gaining practical skills and experience, these programs are designed to help youth find meaning in environmental work: what it means to them personally, to others, and to their community. One such program is “Growing Resilience: Mitigating Eco-Anxiety Through 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth-led Gardening and Biodiversity Projects.” Created for queer youth between the ages of 16-26 in the Greater Saint John region, Growing Resilience will consist of 7 workshops related to gardening, local food, and identifying ways they can address climate change in their communities. Youth will learn how to start, grow, harvest, and cook their own food produced locally in community garden plots. Participants will also partake in a Photovoice project where they will identify issues and assets to address climate change in their communities.
Learning about YEAN’s work, it becomes clear that the Collaborative is about more than just skill-building. At its core, YEAN knows that a sense of community and belonging for youth is worth just as much as, if not more than, undergoing practical training. And what’s integral to the Collaborative is that these relationships aren’t only fostered between young people, but with the rest of NBEN’s greater network. Intergenerational relationships allow for youth to find support, guidance, and resources that are difficult to establish on one’s own. Members of NBEN are eager to support the next generation of environmental activists, ready to pass on hard-earned knowledge and wisdom gained from years of experience. In turn, youth are getting space to make their own voices heard within the environmental movement.
NBEN’s Youth Environmental Action Network isn’t just equipping youth to take action – it’s equipping them to take action together. From an organization whose sole purpose is to facilitate connections, YEAN is destined to become a key player for the next generation of environmental activists, advocates, and workers. And as a youth-led collaborative, it’s no wonder that YEAN is forging its own path – knowing that young people need just as much care for their emotional well-being as the environment needs from us.
* New Brunswick rests upon the traditional lands of the Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet), Mi’kmaq, and Peskotomuhkati (Passamaquoddy) peoples.
