The Youth Climate Collective (YCC) is a space for Toronto-based youth ages 12-16 to explore the intersection of art and activism and the role of creativity in tackling the climate crisis. Under the mentorship of art and climate professionals, YCC strives to plan and undertake green initiatives, where we demand for climate justice and positive changes!
Program Objectives
🌻 Advocacy: Take action against the climate crisis.
🌻 Self-Expression: Voice your thoughts on climate change.
🌻 Creativity: Plan and create artistic initiatives to bring awareness and action to climate issues.
🌻 Leadership: Become leaders in your community.
🌻 Impact: Take your advocacy work to the public.
🌻 Climate Literacy: Learn about climate justice and think critically about climate change.
🌻 Network: Connect with climate-conscious people and learn about different climate initiatives.
Current Project
YCC Fall Mentorship Program 2022
For the Fall 2022 session, participants will be mentored by a storyteller, a climate advocate, and a radio program developer to produce radio segments that advocate about climate change issues. The format of this broadcast will be determined by program participants–it could be a podcast episode, story, public service announcement, or anything else! Participants will even be provided with recording gear, courtesy of CJRU 1280AM campus radio!
Registration for the Fall 2022 season is now closed. If you’d like to join our newsletter to learn about our upcoming programming, please email communityprograms@lakeshorearts.ca
Meet our YCC Facilitators
Lluvia Nisayé, Climate Advocate
Born and raised in Tenochtitlan, México by her grandmother Amparito that taught her everything there is to know about love. Lluvia comes from a long matriarchal dynasty of strong women from Juchitan, Oaxaca. She spent her twenties hustling in restaurants and studying computer programming and political science in what is known today as Canada. Her practice combines her knowledge in political science, teaching, history, humour, coding & technology, design, culinary history and meme culture. Currently, they’re focusing on crafting and facilitating creative courses with Elders and rural communities across Turtle Island. Lluvia Nisayé truly believes in the power of translating obfuscated and over complicated knowledge and digital experiences to folks that otherwise would find themselves excluded.
Robyn Kaur Sidhu, Poet
Robyn Kaur Sidhu (she/he/they) is a queer, mad, disabled, Punjabi poet. They have had feelings publicly, and have performed them on stages across Turtle Island and the United Kingdom. They are the creative director of Hot Damn it’s a Queer Slam, and a current member of the League of Canadian Poets. They are a youth educator of consent, race, 2SLGBTQ+ identity, poetry and visual arts. They will occasionally break out into poetry on the street, and they are trying to be the adult they needed as a kid. You can find Robyn on the internet if that’s your thing @Robyn_Sidhu
Take a look back to YCC’s past projects below!
YCC Summer Series 2022
During the summer season, LSA hosted a 3-part YCC Summer Series to advocate for parks and the environment. Events included an educational tour of an Etobicoke park, rock-painting, poster-making, and teachings about public rallies. Guests had the opportunity to chat with YCC members about their artwork and activism projects.
2021/22 Mentorship Program | Citizen’s Lab
In the 2021-2022 season, the program focused on how YCC mentees could take their passions and climate awareness into the community through a local interactive exhibition called Citizen’s Lab. With the support of community organizer Graham Budgeon, and artist Nick Sweetman, YCC brainstormed, developed, and created climate art, taking over the Community Project Space at Lakeshore Arts to exhibit their works. You can check out highlights of this show below!
Photos by Terence Thissaveerasingam
Meet the past mentors
Graham Budgeon
Graham is passionate about environmental and systems sustainability. As a complex-problem solver, Graham started a community initiative called Going Green Toronto which aims to support communities across Toronto in solving climate justice issues at the local level.
Nick Sweetman
Nick is an independent, multidisciplinary artist from Toronto. His murals can be found around the city from East to West, and he has partnered with numerous non-profit organizations on community projects and events. He is interested in drawing attention to physical and conceptual sites of intersection between natural forces and human-designed objects and spaces. By this, he hopes to encourage consideration of our relationship with the planet and its non-human inhabitants.
The World I Want to See | Earth Day 2021
Program Funders
The Youth Climate Collective is funded by The Kiwanis Foundation of Canada, the City of Toronto and supported by Ontario Charitable Gaming Association through Delta Bingo and Gaming St. Clair.