Over the past number of months, Water First has been creating a new school-aged youth education pilot project, Growing Roots. Through this project, Water First is partnering with different communities to expand our youth water science education programming to maximize the involvement of Indigenous youth, leading to long-term environmental action and stewardship.
In early October, we convened The Indigenous Community and Youth Advisory Council, comprised of community elders, youth, educators, and lands and resources department staff. The conversations were rich in knowledge and recommendations moving forward.
Water First worked with Christian Island Elementary school to deliver both indoor and outdoor water science workshops to every class. Students engaged in STEM-based learning activities such as biodiversity while observing local aquatic wildlife and plants. Students developing a passion for water science will help to end the disparity of Indigenous representation in the STEM fields.
Click on the presentation below to see more about the pilot project.
The most exciting part of our visit was working with students to plan an environmental restoration or conservation action. The students are now taking what they have learned to develop a plan for watershed restoration/conservation action within their community.
Water First is launching our Growing Roots pilot in two other First Nations communities in Ontario and Manitoba in the spring of 2020, along with our second trip back to Chimnissing to support the students implementing their projects.
