Climate Con 2025: Building Hope and Community in Building Resilience in a Changing Climate

This February, the Student Climate Action program of the Waterloo Climate Institute hosted the second annual Climate Conference, bringing together over 100+ passionate changemakers for a day of inspiration, collaboration, and climate hope. More than just a conference, this year's program tackled one of the biggest challenges facing young adults today—climate anxiety—by fostering a sense of community and empowerment. Through thought-provoking discussions and interactive sessions, participants explored the emotional side of climate action and discovered ways to turn uncertainty into solutions. A highlight of the day was the judged poster showcase, where students took center stage to share their innovative contributions to climate research, art, engagement, and solutions. 

This year's conference focused on diverse perspectives, sharing the interdisciplinary nature of the climate crisis, and the diverse ways students are engaging in climate change.  

The morning started with a welcome from Dr. Sarah Burch, the Executive Director of the Waterloo Climate Institute, followed by an Indigenous welcome from Elder Myeengun Henry, Indigenous Knowledge Keeper with the Faculty of Health. Elder Myeengun shared a powerful message of hope, reminding attendees that in a world often consumed by climate inaction and disinformation, true strength comes from connection—to nature and to each other. He emphasized that these deep, lasting bonds are far more powerful than the fleeting messages of social media and the news. By fostering community and reconnecting with the land, we can build resilience that outlasts the current wave of misinformation.  

Grace Nosek – a legal scholar focusing on climate misinformation, protest, and democracy engaged the attendees in an insightful keynote presentation. Grace shared details of her work to empower youth in democratic decision-making and is turning her PhD thesis into a young adult novel about magical climate strikers.  Grace emphasized a powerful scientific truth: our beliefs can shape reality more strongly than facts alone. She highlighted how youth are culture-makers, a fact that fossil fuel companies exploit to sow division and disempowerment. Instead of letting others dictate the narrative, she urged participants to reclaim their influence, unite, and shape a climate-positive future on their own terms. 

The keynote ignited the audience to dive into the interactive workshop that followed.  Amy Castator - the Director of Project Neutral – led an activity focused on identifying how you can do what you love and still engage in climate action. The workshop was focused on a three-part Venn diagram of a) what the participant is good at, b) what work needs to be done in climate justice and what c) brings them joy, The answers the participants came up with overlapped in the “sweet thing” middle which identified what type of climate action they could engage with. The room at the conference filled with rich discussion as faculty and staff helped to facilitate this activity with students. The session had generated some amazing ideas and had a lot of people feeling more hopeful about engaging with the climate space. 

Another dynamic session followed the workshop, the Student Showcase. Over 30 students participated, sharing works ranging from academic research to infrastructure designs to art instillations. Konrad Borowski won the first-place prize for his poster on Sustainable Flood Resistant Modular Beehive, with Cynthia Bova and Jordan Li & Shayna Meinzinger winning the two honourable mention prizes. The popular vote went to Timothy James Mohammed Doak & Izhaan Bin Rauf for their poster on Electric Planes: A Sustainable Alternative for Canadian Flight Training. Congratulations to all who participated! 

The afternoon shifted focus to climate hope. Each panelist shared personal stories and insights into their climate journeys before a moderated Q&A led by Cindy Qiu – a student climate council member. Autumn Loosemore from Sustainable Waterloo Region spoke about the power of connecting local communities through sustainability initiatives, emphasizing the importance of collective action. Michelle Angkasa, who began her climate journey with the 2019 climate strikes, reflected on how these pivotal moments inspired her to take on advocacy work. Mathieu Feagan shared stories of people he’s met who are making real change in their communities, offering hope and showing how individual efforts can spark broader movements. Eloise Fan brought a unique perspective, discussing how theater can help people process climate anxiety and find empowerment in the face of uncertainty. Together, they answered questions about how to stay hopeful, take action, and find opportunities in the climate sector. 

The day wrapped up with a community building session where students played climate bingo by trying to find people who filled out the prompts on their bingo cards. This fun activity allowed participants to meet new peers engaged in climate action while enjoying light refreshments, and mocktails. Feedback received from the participants indicates the Climate Con 2025 was very well received with emphasis on the poster session. Attendees would like to see it again next year. 

Overall, the day highlighted how emotions come with working in climate. While a single day of connection and conversation can spark motivation and connection, building lasting climate hope requires ongoing effort, shared purpose, and a strong community. We hope this conference will spark a strong community and bring forward ideas and change. 

*Photo Credit to Harminder Phull