GreenLearning is partnering with the York Weston Community Services Centre in Toronto to pilot an engagement program for youth ages 13 to 20 living in some of Toronto's highest risk neighbourhoods.

The youth engagement program has two main goals:

• to foster civic engagement and leadership through environmental stewardship
• to help integrate the youth, many of whom are immigrants or refugees, into Toronto culture.

The pilot program will be held over spring break from March 15–19. Modeled on GreenLearning's Redfish School of Change, subsequent programs are expected to extend for more than a week and take youth outside the city.

The Weston Public Library will host a public information session on February 23 from 6:30–8:00 pm. Registration begins the following week. If you are interested in contributing to the design of this unique program, consider participating in an upcoming focus group. For more information, contact Elaine Ho, Youth Engagement Coordinator.

Elaine joins the GreenLearning team on a workterm from the Honours Environment and Resource Studies program at the University of Waterloo. An alumni of the 2009 Redfish School of Change, Elaine recently participated in COP 15 in Copenhagen as a student delegate. She is also the co-founder of SWITCH, Solar and Wind Initiatives Toward Change, and its elementary chapter, SWITCH 'EM.