Youth Climate Action Fund

The Town of The Blue Mountains is proud to be one of 100 communities worldwide to receive funding and technical assistance to support youth-driven climate action.

The Town will receive $50,000 USD to distribute as microgrants to fund youth-led climate initiatives. These projects can be implemented in any community within the traditional Territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, which includes The Blue Mountains, Grey County, Southern Georgian Bay communities, Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation, Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation, Bruce County, and other communities within this area. Projects are encouraged to build youth engagement and collaboration across communities, building capacity and relationships that will help us address climate change with youth leadership. 

From mobilizing tree-planting or public education campaigns, to launching waste reduction initiatives, to participating in climate change mitigation planning or preparedness programs, efforts stemming from the new Youth Climate Action Fund will advance critical community goals such as meeting decarbonization commitments or reducing consumption-based emissions. All projects must align with and support The Blue Mountains and Grey County’s climate change goals and actions. Visit www.TBMFutureStory.ca and https://www.grey.ca/government/climate-action for more information on these plans. 

Eligible projects may include:

• Youth-led awareness, education, research, and development initiatives, including: youth-led climate education programs; youth climate hackathons; youth-developed climate surveys and research; youth-informed clubs or curriculum; and youth-designed public art and awareness campaigns.
• Youth-driven climate mitigation and adaptation projects, including: youth-led community gardening, tree planting, reforestation, and urban farming campaigns; youth-managed recycling and waste reduction programs; and youth-produced climate resilience workshops and disaster preparedness programs.
• Co-governed youth climate action plans, including: partnerships between city leaders and youth groups to inform climate-related policy ideas, decisions, or actions or the formation of youth climate ambassadors or advisory boards.

For the YCAF, eligible youth must be between the ages of 15 and 24, and projects must be new initiatives. Youth-led projects can be supported by a sponsoring organization, such as a school or service club. Further details on eligibility and evaluation criteria are on the way – please subscribe below and stay tuned!

For more information regarding the Youth Climate Action Fund and Bloomberg Philanthropies, visit www.bloomberg.org.