Hat High’s YES club leaves climate leadership summit inspired to do more
Four young women from the Youth for Environmental Sustainability (YES) group at Medicine Hat High attended the Inside Education Generate 2017 Youth Energy and Climate Leadership Summit March 9-12, and came home carrying a hope to do even more in their home community to help the environment.
“At the summit, they were talking about how to engage our communities and to take action,” confirmed Grade 12 student Sally Zhou. “This knowledge has encouraged me to conserve energy and to look into new ways of renewable resources into the future.”
Zhou attended the summit with fellow students Kara Gilbert, Tessie Vachon and Sarah Dunn; alongside teachers Rhonda Hunter and Nadine Spencer. There were 80 students and 40 teachers in total at Generate this year.
“It inspired me how much people were there for the environment, and how many people put this issue above other issues right now,” agreed fellow club member Sarah Dunn. “Our environment is changing, and we need to conserve it for future generations.”
“The girls have done many projects that have helped the school, and everything is about improving the life of the students, community, the country and the world,” added Ms. Spencer, who said she couldn’t be prouder of all the girls in YES. “This club is a very active club. And even though we might be small in numbers, the girls have been very mighty in the activities we have done and the education we provide for one another.”
The girls of YES have chosen to focus their next project on solar energy, and hope to inspire their school community and hometown to be even more aware of the need for sustainable energy sources going into the future.
“We live in a very abundant place, and we are very lucky to have the resources we have,” said Zhou, explaining why the club has decided to focus its attention in this area. “Sometimes we don’t realize until we don’t have these resources anymore; so it’s better to protect what you have.”