UTM Climate Camp: Youth-Centered Initiatives are Key in Realizing UTM’s Sustainability Goals and Addressing Climate Change
On June 12th, 2023, the Institute for Management & Innovation’s (IMI) Master of Science in Sustainability Management Program (MScSM) and UTM’s Sustainability Office launched the first-ever Climate Camp to address the urgency of climate anxiety and climate education through a positive, solution-driven, and empowering lens for children aged 8 – 12. Under the civic and campus engagement areas of the Sustainability Strategic Plan (2020), the University aims to host climate-themed events that engage youth on issues of climate change, and in particular, their role in fostering a sustainable future. The initiative, realized by MScSM Director Dr. Shashi Kant and other leaders in sustainability at UTM and IMI, seeks to bring early education to youth and address eco-anxiety in an unintimidating and engaging way, with entertaining activities such as reflective writing and drawing, discussions on civic engagement, and potting native plants. As the Camp ended, kids were encouraged to write a post card to the Mayor and learn that they can connect with leaders at all three levels of government to enact change. For kids, reflective engagement helps to frame the overwhelming problem of climate change so that individuals can actively envision, and potentially manifest, their role in creating positive change locally. After all, the first step in creating lasting change is to acknowledge that it lies within achievable, tangible human actions.
Climate change and other consequences of anthropogenic environmental destruction are already affecting people from all over the world, regardless of age or geographic location—the recent Canadian wildfires threaten air quality and healthy forests, and other consequences such as heat strokes, droughts, and floods are becoming increasingly common, often impacting the most vulnerable of communities that lack the resources to recover. Though the physical or ecological urgency of climate change is of great importance, climate anxiety caused by the emotional response to an uncertain environmental future is often overlooked when addressing the impact of climate change on peoples’ physical and psychological health. The University of Toronto Mississauga takes an active role in addressing climate change holistically.
The sustainability vision of UTM and IMI makes the fundamental recognition that the individual and collective health of human beings are intimately tied to the health of the planet, and that education, civic and campus engagement, and strategic action are essential in bringing that vision to life. UTM’s Sustainability Strategic Plan (2020) outlines the University’s past environmental initiatives that continues to make UTM a leader in sustainability, as well as 26 additional short and long-term climate goals in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) that the University hopes to pursue by 2030. The Sustainability Strategic Plan (2020) highlights five areas where tangible sustainability initiatives and eco-friendly mindsets are crucial to implement; these include: academic programs and curriculum, research, campus engagement, civic engagement, and human resources and infrastructure. Overall, the University aims to take a pluralistic and tangible approach to addressing climate change and other concerns regarding sustainability in order to ensure an environmentally aware student body and a healthier future for all.
Reflecting on the future of UTM’s sustainability work, Michelle Atkinson, IMI’s Sustainability Projects and Engagement Coordinator, says that the future hope “is to have more engagement opportunities with youth, and chances to talk about climate change and sustainability. We’d love to offer more camps in the future, opportunities to connect with youth leaders in high school, as well as to continue to partner with amazing campus partners like the UTM Sustainability Office in bringing these initiatives and programs to life.” Atkinson goes onto say that her motivation for taking such a central role in bringing Climate Camp to life was of “personal and social responsibility” to youth communities and the planet. Sustainable, educational, and youth-centered initiatives like Climate Camp continue to be integral to campus-wide sustainability efforts and beyond.