Youth and Water
Youth are the future of water stewardship.
All British Columbians need a better understanding of the how water contributes to our health and economy, and the challenges it currently faces. Teaching our youth about the characteristics of a proper functioning stream will help them learn the values of water, how to reduce human impacts on nature and ways to bring a stream back to health. Children can also be taught to value and conserve water at school and at home.
This page will show how the B.C. government will incorporate student and community gathered knowledge about water in local planning and decision-making. Consistent tools such as a stream-health checklist are important for this.
What is the B.C. government doing?
Teaching our youth about healthy streams
To become successful water stewards, young people need a basic understanding of stream health and riparian zones. Living Water Smart commits to all B.C students completing a stream health assessment by 2012. Stream health assessments will give young people hands-on skills and knowledge about the processes and attributes of healthy creeks and streams.
Our plan is for students to complete these assessments with ecologists and other stream health experts as part of the students’ school-based education. Once the program is up and running in 2009/2010, teachers will be trained in stream health assessments and regional trainers will assist them on field trips. In the meantime, if you’re a teacher or a parent, and you want to learn more about environmental education and stream health, please see www.streamofdreams.org and www.projectwet.org.
Rewarding youth excellence in science
British Columbians are stewards of a large portion of the world's fresh water. The provincial government will award a youth water-science prize or scholarship for excellence in water stewardship to help encourage the next generation of water scientists, planners and decision makers.
Young people will be educated about water and encouraged to consider water-related sciences through a youth science prize for excellence in water stewardship. Prizes may include university bursaries or other incentives that encourage recipients to take their water science education to the next level.
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Media release: Games Reward Green Ideas
Students across the province are being challenged to become environmental stewards by developing school or community-based projects that help protect the environment…
Providing summer jobs to help out our environment
The B.C. government will provide a number of summer jobs for youth between the ages of 16 to 22, to undertake 20 stream restoration projects across the province.
Practical, hands-on "gumboot" experience rehabilitating creeks and wetlands empowers youth and helps them understand how they can make a difference. This experience may lead youth to choose a career in the environmental field. Youth teams will be provided with the tools, training and supervision to complete stream restoration projects across the province. These projects will be delivered through partnerships among private sector companies, non-governmental agencies and the B.C. government.
What can you do?
- Teach your parents how to conserve water and use it efficiently at home. For information and ideas visit easy actions to do.
- Learn about stream health and how to keep our wetlands and waterways healthy. Teach your class about water. Check out Project WET for teaching resources.
- Make your youth voice heard. For information on how, visit get involved in your area. Tell your municipal or regional district council your ideas about land use, infrastructure, water and wastewater, and development in your community.
Want to start your own community project?
If you would like to "green up" your school, the Ministry of Education can help you get started with a BC Green Schools Eco Kit.
As part of the Pacific Green Schools strategy, the Ministry of Education is offering all public and independent schools (K-12) a BC Green Schools Eco Kit. The kit contains an idea book full of possible projects, such as establishing composting or recycling programs in the school, tending a garden or cleaning a local pond. A log book allows students and staff to help their school rise in rank through an environmental-status merit system.
This is an opportunity for all B.C. schools, teachers and students to become green with a bias-balanced, curriculum fit green schools Eco Kit.
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