Youth Leadership and Engagement Program | |
|
Year
|
 |
2009 |
|
Proponent
|
|
Fraser Basin Council Society |
|
Project type
|
|
Engagement |
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FSWP funding source
|
|
Living Rivers |
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Grant amount
|
|
$20,000 |
|
Total project value
|
|
$121,250 |
|
ID number
|
|
09-LR64-E |
Location: Greater Vancouver,
Lower Fraser
Project Summary
Overview
While youth are generally recognized as the “leaders of the future”, in many cases they are already leaders amongst their peers and communities. By targeting youth who are already actively engaged in community and watershed sustainability initiatives we can build their capacity and confidence to be Watershed Champions Đ that is youth who are knowledgeable about watersheds and the how communities impact them from headwaters through to the ocean.
The proposed project meets multiple FSWP priority activities under the education and engagement and intergrated planning and governance program areas. In particular, the project will build a network of youth watershed champions and in doing so, increase their capacity to participate in watershed governance and decision making processes. These youth leaders will play a key role in enhancing collaboration and information sharing amongst watershed stewardship groups in the Lower Fraser region. In addition, the participants will directly enhance salmon habitat and watershed health by implementing a youth-led restoration project in a priority watershed within the Lower Fraser region.
The project will be delivered in partnership with Langley Environment Partners Society, a local stewardship and community engagement group that works collaboratively to enhance awareness and restore watershed health.
Objectives
1. Tools and approaches to overcome barriers to youth participation and leadership in watershed stewardship initiatives identified and implemented.
2. Importance of youth participation in watershed governance and decision making processes recognized and valued with opportunities for ongoing youth participation established.
3. A network of youth watershed champions collaborate to engage their peers in meaningful ways to define and address local watershed sustainability issues in partnership with existing community initiatives and stewardship groups.
4. Framework for youth leadership in watershed stewardship and governance implemented in other communities and jurisdictions.
Methods
1. Based in FBCŐs Vancouver Office, a part-time youth coordinator will work with FBC and LEPS staff to build the capacity of five youth participants from selected communities in the Lower Fraser region to be watershed champions. The coordinator will provide on-the-ground support and identify opportunities to connect and enhance existing watershed initiatives.
2. Capacity building will be done in collaboration with other organizations such as Waterlution, the Sto:Lo Nation and Sto:lo Youth Council, SurreyŐs SHarRP program, North Vancouver Ecology Centre and Pacific Streamkeepers through a series of watershed workshops & outdoor learning programs. This will form a key component of the capacity building process while enabling participants to enhance their knowledge about watershed management as well as developing skills for action planning to undertake initiatives relevant to watersheds in their own community.
3. The network of youth watershed champions will provide ongoing opportunities for peer-to-peer and intergenerational mentoring as well as facilitating collaboration amongst watershed stewardship initiatives & groups.
4. Learning Exchanges will be established for youth participants to gain knowledge from local and regional organizations that have implemented successful community focused watershed enhancement initiatives. Learning Exchanges will be identified based on participantsŐ interest and will be designed to create transferable knowledge to share amongst the youth participants and establish connections between groups addressing watershed and salmonid health.
5. Opportunities for the youth watershed champions to participate in watershed governance and decision making processes will be identified during the course of the project and may include FBCŐs Watershed Governance project, various initiatives within the Fraser Valley Regional Watershed Coalition and local government watershed planning initiatives. Implementation of the ProvinceŐs Living Water Smart plan may lead to additional opportunities for youth engagement.
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