Peterborough GreenUP workshop series offers youth a space to become climate leaders

Registration is open for the next workshop on January 22 on how to bring new life to broken items instead of throwing them away

Guest artist Lisa Noble from the Trent University School of Education leads GreenUP Youth Climate Action participants in a workshop activity to create jewellery with recycled parts like bike chains and buttons. The workshop held on November 14, 2024 empowered youth to creatively keep used items out of landfills. Youth who complete four of the six workshops in the series receive a certificate adding a valuable credential to their resume. (Photo: Angela Sundue)
Guest artist Lisa Noble from the Trent University School of Education leads GreenUP Youth Climate Action participants in a workshop activity to create jewellery with recycled parts like bike chains and buttons. The workshop held on November 14, 2024 empowered youth to creatively keep used items out of landfills. Youth who complete four of the six workshops in the series receive a certificate adding a valuable credential to their resume. (Photo: Angela Sundue)

Imagine a space where youth voices take the lead, creativity flows, and climate solutions come to life.

GreenUP, with the support of a grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, is hosting a Youth Climate Leadership event series — free workshops by and for female-identifying, two-spirit, and gender-diverse youth who are passionate about the planet.

More than just a workshop, these sessions are part of a youth-led movement in Peterborough. Co-designed by passionate young changemakers, this dynamic series is a call to action for youth ready to learn about climate action, uplift communities, and tackle real-world challenges for a better future.

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In the fall, a diverse group of youth aged 13 to 18 gathered for an initial brainstorming session to build out the remaining five workshops for the 2024-2025 season. These ideas were then compiled and shared back with the youth as part of the co-design process.

The themes selected by youth were:

  • Fast fashion – slow stitching and recycled jewellery (November)
  • Eco-crafting – sustainable gift giving (December)
  • Fix It, Don’t Trash It – youth repair café (registration now open for January)
  • Eco-architects – energy conservation and sustainable buildings (2025)
  • Leadership and philanthropy (2025)
Youth Climate Action participants use slow stitching techniques to create fabric scrap holiday ornaments at the Eco Gift Crafting workshop on December 11, 2024. Sustainable decorating and gift-giving can help to mitigate the large amounts of waste that are generated during the holidays. (Photos: Natalie Stephenson / GreenUP)
Youth Climate Action participants use slow stitching techniques to create fabric scrap holiday ornaments at the Eco Gift Crafting workshop on December 11, 2024. Sustainable decorating and gift-giving can help to mitigate the large amounts of waste that are generated during the holidays. (Photos: Natalie Stephenson / GreenUP)

Although the program is focused on fun, it’s also much more, offering an opportunity to build valuable skills for the future. Participants who complete four out of six workshops will receive a certificate, adding a meaningful credential to their resume while deepening their knowledge of climate action and leadership.

Also of benefit to the participants is the opportunity to gather monthly and connect with like-minded peers, while taking hands-on action on themes that they can then take forward into their social network or school as sustainability leaders.

One participant, Abby, said “I like meeting people with similar minds, and who have similar concerns. This (event series) is more in-depth than picking up garbage.”

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During the fast fashion workshop, youth learned how to slow stitch and mend clothing as a personal response to the heavy environmental impact of fast fashion, estimated to be responsible for up to 10 per cent of global carbon emissions.

They also made eco-friendly jewellery out of recycled materials, while socializing and enjoying a meal together.

Young leader Arianna shared that she enjoyed the opportunity “to meet other local students in our community and learn slow stitching to fix clothing.”

Brianna VanEsch, local artist and Trent University teacher candidate, helps youth learn fabric renewal with slow stitching to repurpose fabric scraps into creative new designs during a workshop held on November 14, 2024. Combatting fast fashion was identified as a theme to focus on during an initial brainstorming session where young participants co-designed the Youth Climate Action workshop series. (Photo: Megan Allen)
Brianna VanEsch, local artist and Trent University teacher candidate, helps youth learn fabric renewal with slow stitching to repurpose fabric scraps into creative new designs during a workshop held on November 14, 2024. Combatting fast fashion was identified as a theme to focus on during an initial brainstorming session where young participants co-designed the Youth Climate Action workshop series. (Photo: Megan Allen)

The December workshop invited participants to reimagine holiday giving, with a focus on reducing the more than half a million tonnes of waste generated by gift-wrap, shopping bags, and packaging that Canadian homes produce during the holidays each year.

Youth explored the art of crafting eco-friendly gifts by learning how to create natural beeswax candles in glass jars, make natural and toxin-free bath bombs, and learned about sustainable ways to wrap gifts.

According to Abby, “It was interesting to learn things that you don’t think about, like tape and stickers being single-use plastic.”

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Registration is now open for the next free Youth Climate Leadership workshop happening on January 22.

Inspired by Repair Café Peterborough, this hands-on event will teach youth how to bring new life to broken items instead of throwing them away.

Whether it’s a torn shirt, a broken gadget, or a household item that needs a fix, they will learn to repair, reuse, and upcycle — keeping waste out of landfills while making a real impact on the environment.

GreenUP education program coordinator Melissa Morris facilitates the first of GreenUP's Youth Climate Action sessions for female-identifying, two-spirit, and gender-diverse youth on October 9, 2024. The session engaged participants to contribute ideas to help co-design the rest of the workshop series. The areas that youth chose to focus on included sustainable gift giving, slow stitching, eco architecture, leadership and philanthropy, and a repair café. (Photo: Natalie Stephenson / GreenUP)
GreenUP education program coordinator Melissa Morris facilitates the first of GreenUP’s Youth Climate Action sessions for female-identifying, two-spirit, and gender-diverse youth on October 9, 2024. The session engaged participants to contribute ideas to help co-design the rest of the workshop series. The areas that youth chose to focus on included sustainable gift giving, slow stitching, eco architecture, leadership and philanthropy, and a repair café. (Photo: Natalie Stephenson / GreenUP)

GreenUP’s education programs champion the transformative power of engaged young people and their ability to create meaningful change in the world.

Youth Climate Leadership builds on early nature education and appreciation to foster leadership in teens, teaching them how to inspire others to make more sustainable choices in their everyday lives.

From creating handmade gifts to slow stitching and repairs, attendees discover how to amplify small actions toward significant environmental impacts.

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Do you know female-identifying, two-spirit, and gender-diverse youth who would be interested in the Climate Leadership Workshop series?

Register now at FixItWorkshop.eventbrite.ca to secure a spot for the next event, Fix It, Don’t Trash It: Climate Action Repair Workshop for Youth, on Wednesday, January 22, from 5 to 7 p.m. in GreenUP’s offices at 378 Aylmer St. N. in downtown Peterborough.

For more information on this and other educational programs, e-mail Melissa Morris, GreenUP education program coordinator, at melissa.morris@greenup.on.ca.