GreenHouse at United College has joined the City of Kitchener to deliver Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Youth Climate Action Fund, which will provide technical assistance and funding for young people ages 15 to 24 around the world to design, produce and govern urgent climate solutions in their cities.
From tree-planting or public education campaigns to recycling or waste reduction initiatives to climate change mitigation planning or preparedness programs, efforts funded by the new Youth Climate Action Fund will advance community goals like meeting decarbonization commitments or reducing consumption-based emissions.
Join the Round 2 YCAF Showcase!
Celebrate the 2025 cohort of youth climate leaders funded through YCAF, made possible by the City of Kitchener and Bloomberg Philanthropies! Throughout this cycle youth-led teams have dedicated six months to implementing tangible climate solutions addressing local environmental challenges. This gathering will honour their contributions, foster meaningful connections, and spark inspiration for continued community action.
When: Thursday, November 27, 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Where: Kitchener City Hall Rotunda, downtown Kitchener
Discover how youth are shaping Kitchener’s sustainability story through hands-on project showcases. Engage directly with teams to learn about their initiatives, participate in interactive mini-workshops, and connect with fellow community members passionate about advancing local climate action. This event offers a unique opportunity to witness grassroots innovation in motion and explore how collective efforts can cultivate a more resilient future.
YCAF funded projects
2025
- Building Climate Mitigation Bridges at Kitchener Secondary Schools — Building on insights from the WRDSB SDG Expo and Stock Take events, this initiative connects two high school eco-clubs with environmental non-profit mentors to develop and implement climate mitigation projects. Through collaborative workshops and planning sessions, students lead the design process while receiving guidance on project scoping, learning opportunities, and execution. ClimateActionWR staff provide ongoing support to help young leaders turn their ideas into tangible school-based solutions that maximize community impact.
- Youth Climate Engagement Strategy — This project created a climate action and sustainability youth engagement strategy designed to make youth action in the climate space effective and meaningful by bridging the gap between youth and organizations. Through a series of consultations and youth engagements, Young Eye International gathered insights from young people about their climate priorities. They identified barriers to youth participation, revealed preferred channels of involvement, and co-created recommendations for improving how the city engages youth in climate action work.
- Climate Hope Lab (Climate Cafes) — This project fosters youth climate leadership by creating inclusive spaces for emotional processing, community connection, and future-building. Moving beyond isolated initiatives, the team cultivates ongoing dialogues where young people explore climate challenges through the lens of hope and collective imagination. They emphasize that sustaining our world requires both action and imagination, actively welcoming all participants while countering misinformation. In addition to hosting climate cafes, they helped young people find their voice by hosting "postcards for the planet" events and helping youth navigate how to hold your government accountable on issues you care about.
- Eco Flow: Youth-Led Climate Action for Sustainable Menstruation — Addressing both waste and health concerns, Eco Flow works with Aruna Revolution to produce compostable menstrual pads using agricultural by-products like crop residues. Unlike conventional products that persist in landfills for centuries, these pads decompose naturally while eliminating exposure to harmful chemicals including PFAS and dioxins. By repurposing plant waste, the initiative prevents significant carbon emissions annually and offers a safer, eco-conscious alternative for menstrual care. Through YCAF, they hosted educational workshops and built partnerships around menstrual equity.
- Sortana — This mobile application resolves waste sorting uncertainties through AI-powered image recognition aligned with Region of Waterloo guidelines. Users scan items during disposal to instantly receive accurate categorization—whether garbage, recycling, compost, or local drop-off locations—making correct waste management accessible and straightforward for KW residents.
- Ehsaas: Rooted — Centering identity in climate action, this initiative pairs storytelling with environmental mentorship to engage underrepresented youth. Through art-based reflection and one-on-one research guidance, participants explore connections between land, culture, and climate, transforming personal insights into community-driven solutions that emphasize lived experience and collective healing.
- Green Lens — Operating across Instagram and YouTube, this digital media series highlights youth climate solutions through concise, engaging content. Young Eye International showcases local innovations and activism led by 18-25 year olds in Kitchener-Waterloo, making climate action visible and relatable to peers through authentic storytelling.
- Holistic Sustainability — This initiative demonstrates integrated sustainability through multiple tangible actions: hosting a community thrift week, establishing a garden, and raising chickens to divert food waste from landfills. Plans include installing solar panels, a beehive, and rainwater harvesting systems at the Bloom Room, collectively modeling how interconnected practices can reduce carbon footprints while inspiring community-wide adoption.
- Grassroots KW — Aiming to promote youth engagement in local climate efforts, this project connects young residents with tailored environmental opportunities. By leveraging technology, social networks, and strategic outreach, the team bridges gaps between youth interests and existing initiatives, currently conducting research to ensure solutions align with community needs.
- Incubator Hacks — Designed as an accessible entry point for climate innovation, this beginner-friendly hackathon introduces a dedicated sustainability track where over 100 youth develop tech-based environmental solutions. Mentorship during the event extends into an incubator model, supporting participants, particularly from underserved communities, to refine ideas into lasting projects beyond the initial gathering.
- KW Youth Climate Council: Redesigning The "Cure For Litter" Awareness Campaign — Reimagining Kitchener-Waterloo's familiar litter signage, this project collaborates with the Region of Waterloo to modernize the "Cure For Litter" campaign. Youth lead the creative process through digital content, public art, and strategic placements, transforming passive messaging into attention-grabbing calls for community action that resonate with contemporary audiences.
- KW Youth Climate Council: Sustainable Art-Awareness Exposition — Expanding on past clean-up efforts, this initiative organizes regular youth-led litter collection across Kitchener. Collected materials become the foundation for a curated exhibition where discarded items are transformed into thought-provoking artworks, visually communicating the scale of waste while celebrating creative reuse.
- More Trees in Montgomery Park! — Students from ECI high school and nearby residents collaborate to expand the tree canopy in Montgomery Park, directly addressing climate change through strategic planting. Selecting mature trees ensures immediate environmental benefits while fostering intergenerational stewardship and community bonding in this shared green space.
- Project Conscious Couture — Combating textile waste through creativity, this project hosts workshops where youth transform discarded garments into unique fashion pieces. Culminating in a community fashion show, the initiative promotes sustainable consumption as both an accessible and expressive practice, demonstrating how style and environmental responsibility can coexist.
- Pyroneers: Turning Invasive Species into Carbon Sequestering Biochar — Youth transform invasive buckthorn removal into climate action by converting the plant material into biochar. This charcoal-based soil amendment locks carbon underground while enhancing water retention and plant resilience, turning an ecological challenge into a regenerative solution that restores local ecosystems.
- ReClimate — This platform makes verified climate information accessible and engaging for youth while connecting them with local initiatives. Designed as a two-way bridge, it helps community projects gain visibility and provides young people with trustworthy resources to understand climate science and participate meaningfully in solutions.
- Reclimate Workshops — Through hands-on sessions on zero waste, circular fashion, and composting—paired with tree plantings and clean-ups—this project makes climate action tangible and enjoyable. By blending education with immediate community impact, workshops empower participants to adopt sustainable practices as natural extensions of daily life.
- Resilient School Food Gardens in Kitchener — Youth revitalize underused school gardens to grow fresh produce for their communities, creating living classrooms for food sovereignty. The initiative provides resources and mentorship to ensure gardens become sustainable, long-term assets that increase local food access while demonstrating effective youth-led stewardship models.
- Revitalization of Elmsdale Park Garden to Combat Plant Awareness Disparity and to Foster Neighbourly Connections in a Growing Community — Addressing declining plant literacy in a rapidly densifying neighbourhood, this project transforms Elmsdale Park with a community garden, native wildflower meadow, and food forest. Designed as interactive learning spaces, these elements reconnect residents with local flora while building community amid new high-rise developments.
- Sow & Sustain Summer Workshops — Making environmental stewardship joyful rather than daunting, this series offers weekly summer workshops featuring farm visits, plant-nurturing projects, and harvest tastings. By partnering with local gardens and organizations, the initiative creates a welcoming community where youth discover that climate action can be as simple and rewarding as growing their own food.
- The Impact Studio: A Community Co-Lab & Celebration for Youth-Led Change — Moving beyond competitive formats, this collaborative space invites youth to co-create solutions alongside social impact organizations. Through facilitated ideation sessions and mentorship, young changemakers develop real-world projects while building meaningful connections with community leaders, emphasizing collective action over individual achievement.
- The Ripple Effect — High school students design interactive activity centres for elementary children at the Waterloo Wellington Children’s Groundwater Festival, exploring climate-water connections through creative science communication. This intergenerational approach equips youth with leadership skills while ensuring environmental education reflects fresh perspectives and resonates with younger audiences.
- Wetlands Walk: Youth Leading Climate Action — Youth leaders from the Ontario Nature Youth Council guide community members through Huron Natural Area to explore wetlands as natural climate solutions. Participants learn how these ecosystems store carbon, mitigate flooding, and protect biodiversity during an immersive walk that empowers attendees to advocate for wetland conservation in their own neighbourhoods.
2024
- Drizzle to Downpour — Empowers youth to create educational videos for school children, blending climate science with hands-on stewardship activities. Focusing on water conservation, quality, and climate mitigation, these videos aim to inspire a new generation of environmentally conscious community members equipped to drive local change.
- EcoSwap — Offers a practical mobile application enabling young adults in Kitchener to exchange or donate items within a supportive community. The platform encourages participation in the circular economy by making sustainable consumption engaging through reward tracking and visible environmental impact metrics. Users give new life to everyday objects while building habits that reduce waste and reshape local consumption patterns.
- Food Waste Project — This initiative hosts public events in Kitchener designed to engage residents in understanding the environmental consequences of food and household waste. Through interactive activities, participants discover practical strategies for minimizing waste in daily routines, empowering local families to adopt more sustainable habits around reduction, sorting, and proper disposal.
- Future Ecoleader Youth — Establishes a youth committee dedicated to advancing environmental stability in Kitchener. It creates an indoor gardening space supporting the Transformative Waterloo Region food system goals while hosting workshops on gardening techniques and sustainability practices. Activities include park clean-ups and educational sessions, culminating in cooking classes that utilize harvested crops to connect food production with community nourishment.
- GreenLog Empowering Youth for Comprehensive Environmental Action — Engages youth through a dedicated application where participants record daily sustainable actions like recycling or conserving water and energy. Monthly challenges and community events within the app foster consistent environmental stewardship, helping young people track their contributions and deepen their understanding of practical sustainability.
- Harvest to Garnish — Tackles food insecurity in Kitchener-Waterloo through an environmental lens. The initiative builds community resilience by offering hands-on cooking and gardening workshops that strengthen both culinary skills and ecological awareness among participants.
- Invasive Species Removal and Native Plants Re-Introduction — Aims to promote native biodiversity in Kitchener by actively combating invasive species through reintroducing locally adapted plants. Through strategic planting efforts, the initiative restores ecological balance, encourages species diversity, and revitalizes the natural beauty of local green spaces.
- Kitchener Community Compost Project — Addresses the gap for many Kitchener residents, particularly those in townhomes and low-rise apartments who lack access to effective composting services since backyard bins are impractical and municipal green bin collection may be unavailable. This project integrates composting solutions with existing community hubs, establishing circular waste systems within the city’s community gardens to serve high-density neighbourhoods.
- Microgrants for Student Eco-Clubs — A series of microgrants administered through the Waterloo Region District School Board, on behalf of six Kitchener secondary school eco-clubs during summer recess. Funds become available in September when schools receive guidelines and deposits to support student-led environmental projects throughout the academic year.
- Native Plant Revival Project — Focuses on ecological restoration along the Grand River in Kitchener, removing invasive plant species and replacing them with native varieties. By reintroducing local flora, the initiative actively supports climate resilience through enhanced oxygen production and ecosystem recovery.
- Protected winter garden and enclosed growing space — Features a winter garden structure shielded from cold temperatures using twinwall polycarbonate sheeting, with the rear adaptable between reflective sheeting and hardware cloth for critter control. The design incorporates partial self-venting and below-ground irrigation channelled from nearby rain gutters, pending rain barrel installation. LED grow lights provide supplemental warmth and light during colder months. The spring-to-fall growing enclosure modifies a standard polyethylene greenhouse frame with added hardware cloth to exclude pests, housing a metal raised bed, large pots, and a hot composter filled with pre-fermented food waste and cardboard. Green Industries class students, guided by the project team, will eventually cultivate seedlings within this space.
- Public Art Installation Meets Youth-Led Waste Reduction Initiative — Transforms community litter into a powerful public art statement. Following organized clean-ups across Kitchener, collected waste is sorted and displayed within a temporary greenhouse structure using clear bags to showcase specific items like plastic bottles and cans. The installation serves as a visual metaphor for collective responsibility, highlighting the scale of waste while advocating for community action.
- Roots for tomorrow planting a better future — Recognizes worsening respiratory health among youth linked to rising air pollution, emphasizing tree planting as a vital community health strategy. Trees naturally filter carbon dioxide, improve air quality, reduce noise, moderate temperatures through canopy cover, act as windbreaks to protect soil and infrastructure, and provide cost-effective snow management solutions along roadways.
- Tree Carbon Project — Creates community spaces where tree planting directly reduces atmospheric carbon while enhancing resident well-being. Informative signage accompanies each planting site, helping the public understand the multifaceted benefits trees provide for climate regulation, mental health, and social connection.
- Youth Climate Hackathon — Brings together Kitchener’s young innovators to foster collaborative problem-solving for local climate challenges. Participants develop practical solutions through creativity and teamwork, building momentum for community-wide environmental action and empowering youth to lead sustainable change.
- Young Eye International Podcast — Amplifies youth climate leadership through conversations with experienced advocates and emerging changemakers. Featuring discussions on actionable solutions, personal journeys, and local experiences, it connects young listeners with experts and organizations across Kitchener-Waterloo to cultivate a global network committed to tangible climate progress.
