Earth Matters and SelfDesign High to Offer Summer Intensive Course
By Contributor
The Earth Matters Zero Waste Youth Project and SelfDesign High are excited to be collaborating on a summer intensive course for high school students called “Zero Waste Youth Camp.”
The first half of the course will take place from July 8-12 at the Nelson and District Youth Centre (with daily time spent outdoors) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The second part will be self-guided learning throughout the summer based on curriculum that students will co-create.
Students will explore the Zero Waste Movement primarily through “Upcycling” using the Earth Matters Upcycler’s sewing and craft space.
This space was designed to help Earth Matters take discarded tents left at Shambhala Music Festival in 2012 and turn them into re-usable shopping bags for sale at local markets.
With this project in mind, students will design and implement an environmental activism project aimed at busy summer festival-goers who stop in Nelson to help them remember to “Love Your Tent”.
The five days will also include some creative Zero-Waste cooking and snacks, leadership opportunities and group challenges.
The rest of the course-work will take place over the summer at various community events, and will include some independent study. It will be supported by local Self-Design High mentors Sarah Bresnahan and Heather Keczan, who are also the Earth Matters Project Coordinators.
Zero Waste Youth Camp is open to ages 14-18, or grades 9-12. Students will earn up to 4 high school credits. There is a small fee ($30-$40 depending on number of participants) to help cover material costs. To enroll go to www.selfdesignhigh.org/summer or contact Earth Matters at youth@nelsoncares.ca.
Earth Matters is a program of Nelson CARES Society. This project is made possible with support from Columbia Basin Trust, Regional District of Central Kootenay, Nelson and District Credit Union, BC Hydro, Kootenay Co-op, Save-On Foods, Safeway and the Nelson Lions Club.
For information about the Earth Mattes Zero Waste Youth Project see
