More than 90 elementary students from 13 schools across Grey and Bruce counties in Canada spent 28 October turning climate learning into action plans of their own, at the fifth annual Youth Climate Action Conference in Owen Sound.
The one-day youth climate action conference, held at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre, brought students, educators and community organisations together to learn, collaborate and plan projects they will take back to their schools, according to Grey County, which reported the event on 29 October.
A day in Owen Sound
The day opened with the Wabnookwe Singers from Saugeen First Nation. Five Grade 9 students from Mary Immaculate Catholic School then shared an action project inspired by last year’s conference, before local youth Anaïs Mitropoulos spoke in a second keynote about her personal journey from climate anxiety to hope and action.
What the Youth Climate Action Conference teaches
After the keynotes, students joined exploratory labs developed in collaboration with Georgian College’s Community Innovation Lab at Sydenham Campus. The lab topics were Cut Consumption, Loving the Land, Wipe Out Waste, Eliminate Emissions, Honouring Nibi (Water), and Food for All.
The sessions were facilitated by local organisations such as Beaver Valley Outreach, the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority, the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Coastal Waters Monitoring Program, and other local community changemakers. While students were in sessions, teachers took part in professional development on how to connect climate to their curriculum.
Projects students pitched
Over the lunch hour, students enjoyed a taco lunch provided by local charity Elephant Thoughts and helped maintain the Tiny Forest planted as part of the 2025 conference. The Biinaagami Map exhibit, on loan from the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre, was a popular lunchtime stop.
In the afternoon, students worked with their teachers to develop an action project plan, and the day closed with students sharing their ideas in an energised pitch session hosted by Grey County Deputy CAO Niall Lobley. Ideas included planting pollinator gardens, building an outdoor classroom, and installing a water refill station.
A conference that keeps growing
The conference was organised by The Sustainability Project, with support from Learning for a Sustainable Future, Grey County, the Bluewater District School Board, the Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board, the City of Owen Sound, local climate action teams, and financial contributions from Bruce Power, Ontario Power Generation, and about a dozen other community organisations.
After a successful inaugural conference in March 2023 that brought together 50 students from Owen Sound schools, the event has grown significantly. Since the first conference, there have been five Youth Climate Action Conferences, with over 450 students and 90 educators from across Grey Bruce taking part. The third conference, in November 2024, welcomed over 130 students from 27 schools, and the fourth, in October 2025, gathered over 125 students from 24 schools.
What happens next
Students now take their project plans back to their schools, and the conference helps advance Grey County’s climate change action plan, Going Green in Grey.
“Grey County is proud to continue to support the Youth Climate Action Conference,” said Grey County Warden Andrea Matrosovs. “It is so inspiring to see students from across Grey and Bruce spend the day learning, asking questions and planning projects of their own.”
Erin O’Grady, Superintendent of Education for the Bluewater District School Board, called the conference an invaluable opportunity for students to collaborate on environmental sustainability projects and learn from local experts. Paul DeVuono, Program Principal for the Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board, said the board was pleased to support a conference inspiring students to care for creation as stewards.
Young people elsewhere are also turning climate ideas into real projects: read about the Learning Planet Youth Design Challenge for young climate ambassadors.
FAKTA
- Event: fifth annual Youth Climate Action Conference, 28 October 2026, Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre, Owen Sound, Canada.
- Participants: over 90 elementary students and more than 15 educators from 13 schools across Grey and Bruce counties.
- Organiser: The Sustainability Project, with Grey County, both local school boards, the City of Owen Sound and community partners.
- Growth: from 50 students in March 2023 to over 450 students and 90 educators across five conferences.
- Outcome: student action project plans, including pollinator gardens, an outdoor classroom and a water refill station.
