We have entered an unprecedented time for planet earth where the triple planetary crisis rages and the impacts of climate change seem unending. As our social media and news feeds bombard us with the doom and gloom of earth’s future, youth bare the brunt of the ensuing uncertainty and feel overwhelmed by a responsibility often ascribed to them by others. Mercury Rising has been designed to counter these prevailing impacts by an approach that highlights three actions: get informed, change the narrative, and join the global community of actors.

We have 4 core goals:

• Increase climate change literacy among Secondary School students to combat the fear that uncertainty, unknowing and disinformation is spreading through our youth
• Change the narrative from doom and gloom to hope and solutions
• Deliver a message that youth are not alone in tackling the problem – feature stories of others who are innovating, acting, and building a brighter future so that youth become inspired to join a global community of action-takers
• Learn ways to engage, act, and imagine so as to begin or continue climate positive lives

SESSION FORMATS:

• Climate Change Big Ideas “Learn & Think”
  • These sessions are delivered to all students and provide the foundation for thinking and further learning. [Examples might be: Climate Change 101 (Science & Society), Indigenous Knowledge and Land Relationships, Fake News & Disinformation, Environmental Justice and the Differential Impacts of Climate Change, the Triple Planetary Crisis and What it Means, Why Individual Action Matters, etc.)
• Exploratoriums:
  • These sessions are designed to let students go deeper in their exploration and understanding of climate change by focusing on a specific sector or area of interest [students choose from a range of options] learning the connection between the topic and climate change and some of the innovations and approaches that are being undertaken in response
  • Delivered by an expert or on-the-ground changemaker (academic, industry innovator, not-for-profit, community organization, or deep thinker)
  • Examples: Built form, Oceans, Extreme Weather, Fresh Water Security, Consumption & Waste, Energy, Fast Fashion, Plastics, Food Security, Digital Approaches & E-Waste, Climate Related Health, Transportation, etc.
• Imaginariums – Design it Labs:
  • Design-focused, project-based and hands-on, these sessions provide students with the opportunity to take their learning and apply it, think about it, or act on it.
  • Examples: Flash Studio (raising awareness through social media, PSAs, etc), Next Life Fashion (upcycled clothing), UN Water Policy design sprint, Spoken Word Storytelling, Edible Park Bench Design, Climate Resilient City Design studio, Traces Mapping Project, Shoreline Cleanup, etc.
  • Mix of leads; some led by experts, some led by volunteers
• School-wide Participatory Art project to leave a legacy, continue to inspire, and bring the community together in a shared learning and creation space [can involve students, staff, parents, others as desired by the school]

Mercury Rising can be delivered to student audiences ranging from Grades 8-12. We require a minimum of 50 students participating.

At present we are able only to deliver programs in the Greater Vancouver Regional District or Vancouver Island.

The Kimberley Foundation does not charge a fee to co-create and deliver Mercury Rising. We see our planning and on-site event management as our service to the community. However, the schools we partner with are required to cover costs of delivering the program which includes items such as supplies for sessions, potential fees / honorariums and travel costs of speakers (we work to your budget), catering (if desired), facilities and staff costs (if required for set-up/take-down) , IT support (a must but this may be available in-house), etc.

We work with each school to determine what budget they want and design the program accordingly.

We also welcome the opportunity to work with volunteer parents, keen students, and interested staff and/or faculty, especially if this can prove meaningful to these audiences.

If you have any questions or want to explore whether Mercury Rising is a possibility for your school, please direct them to Ms. Sue Roppel, President, Kimberley Foundation, at [email protected]   We thank you for your interest in Mercury Rising.