For Youth

Three youth stand holding a shovel and garden clean-up buckets in the EcoHouse community garden.

Here at Green Venture, we aim to support the eco-journeys of local youth. Our Child and Youth Programs offer an abundance of opportunities for high school students looking to get involved in their communities, young professionals seeking to develop professional skills, budding environmentalists exploring how they can take climate action, and opportunities to get outside. Join us! 

A group of young people sit and stand around a table on a red deck. They are talking, smiling, and doing a gardening activity. Text reads "Green Venture YouthQuake: Eco conversation, stewardship, workshops, and more! Second and fourth Wednesday of the month. youth@greenventure.ca @greenventureyouth." Logos for Hamilton Community Foundation, Conserver Society of Hamilton and District, Green Venture, and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation are along the bottom.

Green Venture YouthQuake

Join our twice monthly, drop-in, virtual and in person YouthQuake meetings for eco conversations open to all Hamilton youth ages 14-24. Recent topics have included waste, consumerism, fast fashion, food choices, and more. The conversations are youth-led, and guided by Green Venture staff; with the occasional opportunity for guest speakers in the environmental field to share their expertise!

To join, email youth@greenventure.ca with the subject “I want to join Green Venture YouthQuake”.

Youth Stewardship and Professional Skills Program poster

Youth Stewardship Program

We are now taking applicants for our spring session of the Youth Stewardship & Professional Skills Program (YSP)! Through the YSP Program, Hamilton high school students develop transferable professional skills, earn volunteer hours, and gain knowledge of environmental issues. We include workshops for skills such as professional email writing, interviewing, and public speaking among a host of others. Guest speakers in the environmental field are also invited to share their expertise and take questions from participants. This sessions theme is Equity and Inclusion in Environmentalism. As part of this program, we offer mentorship and mini-grants for students to develop hands-on action projects that address the chosen environmental issue, directly benefiting their local communities and the planet. Participants collaborate to design and implement these projects, putting their new environmental knowledge and professional skills into practice and making a meaningful difference in their communities.

Start date: February 28, 2024

Time: 4:30-6:30pm

Location: In person at EcoHouse (22 Veevers Dr. Hamilton, ON)

 

Apply here. Priority is given to youth who self-identify as belonging to an equity-seeking group, and who can make the commitment to actively participate in program activities. The final selection will be made from all eligible applicants by random draw.

Testimonials


“I loved that I got to meet new people and develop my public speaking, initiative, and leadership skills. […] I would highly recommend it to others if they want to get more comfortable in their own skin, especially if they have anxiety or low self-confidence, and you get to gain experience in project management while also meeting like-minded students.”

Nature Kids

Nature Kids is an after school program that provides opportunities for children aged 5-11 to get outside, engage with nature, and stay active. Register for the program and find more information here