"to strengthen local knowledge, capacity and skills for sound stewardship, with an emphasis on youth outdoors"
The Youth Biosphere Council concept is an extension of the CBT's Core Priority of Connecting People and Place. This program can be delivered with, and external to, the schools in the region. It is intended to strengthen connections between youth and their enviornment, including the ecology, elders, businesses and the Clayoquot Biosphere Reserve. The long-term goal is to build a youth-driven regional program, expand it nationally and eventually provide an international model through the UNESCO MAB schools program.
The first initiative of the CBT in regards to its relations with youth was to appoint a youth representative for the area. Joshua Charleson, of Hesquiaht Nation and a recipient of the CBT's annual scholarship, has been representing the CBT in the area as well as at a national level. The CBT nominated Josh to represent the Clayoquot Biosphere at the Meeting of Young Adults held in Gatineau, Quebec. The gathering, put on by Parks Canada in partnership with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, "invited 25 young adults aged 18-25 to participate in two days of exchanges, discussion and brainstorming in April 2009".
The meetings are held to achieve the follwing objectives:
1) "Understand how young adults perceive Canada's national parks, national historic sites, and world heritage places";
2) "Gather recommendations from young adults about how Parks Canada could encourage them to become engaged with Canada's antional parks, national historic sites, and world heritage places, not only by visiting them, but also by arousing their interest in the subject, by developing their relationship with anture and hsitory in general, and by encouraging them to become stewards of these sites"; and,
3) To develop a better understanding of the ways in which young adults communicate, their values regarding nature and history, and their interest in engaging with them".
A copy of a report of the meeting can be found here.
Josh continues to represent the CBT in his work and every day adventures throughout Clayoquot Sound. He is also taking the time to document the biosphere and region photographically. You can see his gallery here.
The CBT's Education Advisory Committee has put together a second initiative in support of the Youth Biosphere Council. The Committee has allocated $5,000 to be allocated in $1,000 grants to each of the five schools in the Biosphere Reserve and area: Maaqtusiis, Hot Springs, Wickanninish Community School, Ucluelet Elementary School and Ucluelet Secondary School.
The Grants will require schools to fundraise at least an additional 50% of the grant. The grants are intended to support local outdoor field trips for children of all ages, after administrators raised awareness of transportation costs for trips in the area. The CBT Education Committee feels outdoor education is a cornerstone to learning and to increasing awareness about the Biosphere.
Following the first year pilot program (to run 2009-2010), children will be asked to submit a one-page "What I learnt about my Biosphere" report - an illustration, an essay, a collage....whichever way they'd like to express themselves. The CBT and the CBT Education Committee are committed to seeing this program develop into a longterm committment in support of the education system, if the first year is successful. Stay tuned to this site for details.
