Future KI environmental leaders in the making
Five local students participated in the annual South Australian Youth Environment Council (YEC) last month, supported by the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board in partnership with Kangaroo Island Community Education (KICE).
During the school holidays, the KICE students attended the three-day YEC sustainability camp held at Arbury Park Outdoor Education school in the Adelaide Hills.
Hosted by Green Adelaide, the YEC program supports young people in connecting with nature, challenging themselves, and thinking deeply about sustainability.
"The YEC empowers young people who are passionate about sustainability by helping them grow their leadership skills and make real change in their communities," said Deb Laver, Kangaroo Island Environmental Education Coordinator, who travelled with the KI students to the mainland so they could participate in the YEC camp.
Forty-eight young people engaged in outdoor and indoor activities to build their skills as young changemakers, link learning to real-world practice, and develop and plan their environmental projects.
"The YEC offers students the ability to connect with like-minded youth from across SA, explore key sustainability themes, build leadership and teamwork skills and learn about project planning and management," Ms Laver said.
The program included activities based on project themes of plants, animals and land; water, marine and coast; climate change; and community to support YEC members in identifying areas of interest and developing their own sustainability project for the year.
"This program teaches students about leadership with a focus on public speaking; activism, advocacy, civics and citizenship; circle of influence, bringing people along; and project and event management," Ms Laver said.
Other activities students undertook included guided bush walks, orienteering, a nighttime frog hunt, seed propagation and Landcare activity, and a fun mission survival challenge.
"It was so nice to step back and watch these students thrive. I'm so excited about what project ideas they come up with and the differences they can make within their own local community. They are all true leadership material," Ms Laver said.
As part of the program, KICE students, Brionny, Yasmin, Azuki, Ivy, and Piper will now start their own sustainability project at their school or within their own community.
"My favourite part of camp was probably doing orienteering or the mission impossible activity, and the seeds in the pots, and making new friends," said KICE student Yasmin.
"I really enjoyed the talent show, it was fun, and it was really cool doing all the different workshops on day two," said KICE student Ivy.
KICE student Azuki also enjoyed the experience. When asked what she enjoyed the most about the council, she replied: "Meeting everyone and making new friends."
