Last February, Student Energy was delighted to talk about our Theory of Change at GLOBEForum 24 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Between the 13th and 15th of February, hundreds of climate-conscious change makers converged to forge new connections, strengthen existing bonds, and provide a space for keen intergenerational engagement on key climate issues.

This year’s forum theme was “The Future is Regenerative,” exemplifying the event’s commitment to youth empowerment and sustainability. GLOBE Series operates as part of Profoundry, a collective of like-minded sustainability and climate experts dedicated to helping organizations create positive sustainable change. The group, including Delphi, CBSR, and Leading Change, is collectively focused on achieving its vision: a more sustainable, prosperous, and just future for the next generation of changemakers.

Last time, we shared the GlobeForum experience of Piper, our Chapters Coordinator. Today, we are thrilled to feature Julie Boyce, our Career Training Manager, and share her experience taking part in the event. For Julie, GLOBEForum 24 served as a source of climate optimism, thanks to the voices of youth being centered.

Julie Boyce: Healthy, Respectful, Collaborative Spaces for Youth

This past February 13-15 I had the privilege to attend both the Leading Change and GLOBEForum 2024 as a youth delegate representing Student Energy. For those who don’t know me let me introduce myself; I am a thirty year old caucasian female settler on the stolen lands of Turtle Island, I have a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Victoria, and work as a Program Manager for the global Student Energy Career Training program. 

“My mission is to use my social work education to support global youth through enhancing their skills, raising critical awareness, and advocating for meaningful opportunities while uplifting youth as resourceful, resilient experts on addressing the energy transition and related climate crises in their communities.”

I myself come from a rural Alberta where my community was predominantly influenced by the mining industry, and experienced social and economic devastation after Alberta transitioned away from coal, and just this past summer was gravely impacted by the wildfires due to global warming. 

Left to right: Piper, Julie and the Leading Change delegation, Julie and Pattie Gonia, The Canadian Cleantech panel.

When I first learned the conference theme “The Future is Regenerative,” admittedly I scoffed. As a young professional fully immersed in the energy and climate change space, my personal future has often felt bleak because of my ongoing dance with climate distress. To my surprise after the three day conference I felt hope for the future. I applaud Leading Change for creating safe and brave spaces for young professionals (19-35) from diverse lived experiences, education, work backgrounds to share our perspectives and opinions about our net-zero future that is just, equitable and fair. They created space for us to have healthy, respectful and collaborative conversations about truly difficult topics. 

The organizers did a phenomenal job of creating safety for their youth delegates by creating the Leading Change delegate badges in a vibrant red color that instantly provided a sense of relief when I was navigating the GLOBE event space because I could always locate another delegate to talk to if I was feeling intimidated. Industry leaders, innovators, workers and activists actively engaged Leading Change delegates through numerous intergenerational networking opportunities.

“Throughout the event I felt privileged to connect with thoughtful professionals who were willing to listen to the perspectives of youth delegates, engaging in meaningful conversations that drive progress forward.”

I was drawn to the panels, workshops, and dialogues about critical minerals, Canada’s net-zero electricity grid, Indigenous leadership, climate resilient infrastructure, the just transition, and public private partnerships towards net-zero emissions. The knowledge sharing was invaluable, and I was most inspired by the Canadian Cleantech Leadership Panel that highlighted leading Canadian cleantech companies by sharing their perspectives on advancing innovative solutions to achieving net-zero while also speaking to their limitations. I was delighted to see Apoorv Sinha, co-founder and CEO of Carbon Upcycling, a previous Career Training partner, who spoke to the importance of mobilizing government support towards cleantech to have a more inclusive and just transition to Canada’s net-zero future. 

Annabelle Liao of G7 Research Group with Julie Boyce, and waterside Vancouver

My biggest takeaway from my experience as a Leading Change delegate at GLOBE Forum is the immense potential for conferences to learn from each other about creating meaningful youth engagement. This ensures young people feel safe and confident to contribute actively to dialogues, networking, and collaborative actions aimed at transforming the world toward a sustainable, equitable, and just net-zero future for everyone.

More Blog Content to Come…

Thanks for sharing your unique perspective on GLOBEForum 24 and Leading Change’s inclusion of youth this past February, Julie! Over the next year we are going to make it a priority to amplify the diverse voices of the Student Energy team through our blog. You can expect to see more retrospectives on events, key takeaways and points to consider on emerging renewable solutions, and a continued commitment to highlighting the accomplishments of our vast network of program participants.

Do you have any idea for a future blog post and you’re a participant in one of our programs? Contact your Student Energy Coordinator and let them know! We would sincerely love to hear from you.

This February, Student Energy was delighted to represent our Theory of Change at GLOBEForum 24 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Between the 13th and 15th of the month, hundreds of climate-conscious change makers converged to forge new connections, strengthen existing bonds, and provide a space for keen intergenerational engagement on key climate issues.

This year’s forum theme was “The Future is Regenerative,” exemplifying the event’s commitment to youth empowerment and sustainability. GLOBE Series operates as part of Profoundry, a collective of like-minded sustainability and climate experts dedicated to helping organizations create positive sustainable change. The group, including Delphi, CBSR, and Leading Change, is collectively focused on achieving its vision: a more sustainable, prosperous, socially just future within a generation.

In GLOBE’s own words:

The world is rising to meet the immense social, economic, and environmental challenges of our time, and there are more opportunities to create value in the clean economy than ever before. It is no longer enough to simply reduce our environmental impact or repair the damage that has already been done.

We need to rethink what’s possible, reimagine our economy, and reach beyond sustainability to regeneration.

Student Energy was fortunate to have several members of our team in attendance: Danii Kehler representing SevenGen, Julie Boyce representing Student Energy Career Training, and Piper Stump representing our global Chapters program! Piper was eager to share her reflections and takeaways from her participation in GLOBEForum24 with the Student Energy community.

Left to right: Piper Stump, Danii Kehler, Julie Boyce.

Piper’s Key Takeaways

This past week I attended LCForum24 and GLOBEForum as one of over 120 young sustainability leaders in Leading Change’s 2024 delegation! 

This conference was an incredible opportunity to connect intergenerationally with sustainability leaders across Canada on key issues that we as a nation face such as achieving net-zero targets, building a regenerative future, and the importance of intersectional, equitable, and diverse inclusion. A few of my favorite takeaways from my time at the GLOBEForum include:

• Pattie Gonia’s not only inspiring message to use nature as a mentor in business and in leading us to a regenerative future (“nature’s leadership is circular”), but also by kicking the conference off with a brilliantly rain-themed drag performance (perhaps the most epic start to any conference I will ever attend?).

• Both Maya Colombani and Jane McDonald’s insight into corporate sustainability and the importance of transparent and humble communication of sustainability impact and goals within the private sector. Following the discussion of “greenhushing,” Maya spoke on the “right to fail”, and how publicly acknowledging missed targets is a crucial step in achieving sustainability targets. 

• Lastly, Kat Cadungog’s closing message, urging organizations to take imminent action was especially empowering. She called for groups to be willing to learn from mistakes and contribute meaningfully to our economy and communities by putting plans in action tomorrow. Taking incremental steps everyday is imperative to achieving our 2030 and 2050 climate and net zero goals. 

Piper and Pattie, The Canada Cleantech Leadership Pitch Panel, and Annabelle Liao of G7 Research Group with Julie Boyce.

There were so many takeaways from this event and I am having a hard time expressing only a few but I truly appreciate the authentic intergenerational collaboration facilitated by GLOBE and Leading Change and am delighted to have had this opportunity to meet so many wonderful changemakers from across the country. 

I will leave you with these absolutely fundamental quotes from Pattie Gonia:

 “That commitment to bridging differences leads to innovation and momentum that enables the climate and #sustainability movement to go forward, and really speaks to the importance of embedding that diversity as a core value of this movement.”

“Everyone has heard the phrase, this team is operating like a well-oiled machine – but how different does it feel to say, this team is thriving like a well-nurtured meadow?”

More to come…

Stay tuned, because we have more to share! Coming later this month, Julie Boyce, the Program Manager for Student Energy Career Training will share her insights on the GLOBEForum’s unique position as an intergenerational space for discussion and youth empowerment, as well as her noted areas of growth and opportunity for similar events in the future!

Starting out at one time as the sole full-time employee of the organization, Meredith has spent the past 8 years focused on building Student Energy – slowly at first and then very rapidly – to a 40+ person global organization as of the end of 2022.

Student Energy was initially founded by three young energy leaders in Calgary, Alberta (Kali Taylor, Janice Tran, and Sean Collins) and after two successful International Student Energy Summits and a burgeoning Energy Literacy Program, it soon became clear that there was an urgent need for Student Energy to develop into an organization that could serve youth around the world on a sustainable, ongoing basis. Initially tasked with developing Student Energy’s still-continuing Chapters program, Meredith soon became the Executive Director of Student Energy after the 2015 Student Energy Summit.

Meredith’s leadership has put youth at the forefront and gave youth perspectives a space and a platform. Her passion for young people in the energy transition sparked innovative ideas that turned into tangible formulas and solutions that Student Energy adopts to this day.

Student Energy now has 43 staff working from all across the world, spanning different continents and regions. Meredith led the creation of Student Energy’s Theory of Change, a document defining the organization’s end goals that uses backwards mapping to illustrate how the organization can create the conditions for the end goals to be realized. 

Student Energy embraced growth by expanding the organization’s Programs Ecosystem. Beginning with SE Chapters, the organization now has the SE Fellowship, SE Career Training, SE Guided Projects, the International Student Energy Summit, and SevenGen. Through these programs, we have built a large network of alums who continue to stay connected with Student Energy and their fellow alums while working towards advancing the energy transition.

Student Energy also developed extensive Policy and Advocacy research projects, including the Global Youth Energy Outlook, the Energy Transition Skills Project, and the Youth Impact Framework, all of which are focusing on youth voices in the climate and energy space.

Meredith continues to encourage young people to fulfill their potential toward the energy transition. Her belief in young people is what inspires Student Energy to continue doing the real work for youth in the climate and energy world. 

We interviewed Meredith to find out what she learned in the 8 years leading Student Energy from the ground up. 

How has Student Energy evolved over the past eight years?

Student Energy has evolved so much in the last eight years, and in so many different ways. We’ve gone from me being the only staff person working in my living room to having 40 staff in eight different countries around the world. We have developed, implemented, and stuck to an incredible Theory of Change that focuses on both training and people for the future that we need and need them to deliver on. We have worked with the other actors in the energy system to make sure that young people are taken more seriously and engaged well.

In your time as the Executive Director [of Student Energy], what has changed in the energy and climate landscape?

So much has changed with the youth, energy, and climate landscape since. When I started in 2015, young people were not taken seriously. I was often told that ‘Well, they don’t vote and so they’re not going to be part of this.’ There is no critical thinking about where young people are coming from.

I think now young people are seen as such a force in the world, but it’s still something that people are often hesitant to engage with. That is one huge piece of landscape – people actually are starting to value young people and starting to recognize that young people are, in fact, the global majority. The global average age is under 30.

If we’re not engaging, working with, and designing for young people, we’re not going to make any climate progress. People are really starting to get that. And that’s so much thanks to the work that young climate activists have done, and also groups like Student Energy, who have followed up that activism with concrete, tangible formulas and solutions for how to really work with, train, and engage young people.

So it takes a village [to create this], and the whole ecosystem has been really important. But the world is fundamentally shifted in that way. The world is also fundamentally shifted on climate action. Everyone, no matter where you are in the world, now admits that climate change is real and needs to be acted upon. That wasn’t the case when I started.

There are still a lot more debates, so sometimes it can feel like there’s not enough progress. But it is vastly different and moving so much more in the right direction. I think that’s one thing I feel lucky about, is eight years has actually given me a lot to look back on, to actually see where young people have made insane amounts of progress in this world, whereas, in a day-in, day-out, six-month timeline, it doesn’t always feel that way.

What is one unexpected thing you learned while you were Executive Director [of Student Energy]?

One of the biggest and best surprises was that champions for your work and for you will come in such unexpected places and that the biggest thing that you can do as a leader is just to continually talk about your vision to as many people as you can to see who wants to be on the support team. 

If you would have told me who my biggest mentors and supporters would be when I started out, I don’t think I ever would have believed you. Sometimes the people you feel should be on your team are nowhere to be found. But then you’ll find other people who really have no responsibility but are just passionate about young people and doing the right thing in the world. And they will be there for you and it will make all the difference. So the biggest, most lovely surprise has just been the amount of people who’ve come out of the woodwork to say that they believe in young people too, and that they want to make this happen.

What are you most proud of?

I’m really most proud of how our staff have developed in Student Energy. So many people started with Student Energy as their very first job, maybe as an assistant working 10 hours a week, and have grown into directing portfolios, having mentorship networks of their own, and running so many programs. In addition to our staff, the young people who work for us are incredibly inspiring and really are some of the biggest impact that we have.

The other thing I’m really proud of is how I think we really stood up for young people and what’s right to do in this space. To this day, all of our programs are designed and led by young people. That’s something that we haven’t changed. Despite becoming a multi-million dollar organization, we are still really true to what young people need to be successful in this space and aren’t directed necessarily by our funders or anything like that.

We set the agenda for what young people need, then we go out and find the supporters that make that happen. I think Student Energy has really proven how you can effectively work with young people in a way that other people didn’t see as possible because they weren’t really willing to listen to the young people that they were working to serve.

I’m so proud that we’ve maintained that throughout the years.

How many Student Energy Summits have you attended?

I’ve attended three in-person summits and one virtual summit.

What’s your favorite memory from SES (International Student Energy Summit)?

My favorite memory is at SES 2017 in Merida, Mexico. David Hochschild, the Chair of the California Energy Commission was on the dance floor at the gala, jumping up and down with all the delegates and exclaiming, “Man, this is like a climate hope wedding. It’s fun like a wedding, but it’s like a climate hope summit where everyone believes we could do this!”

And that’s the experience that I want everyone to have. It’s the rallying cry that we can do this.

What are you excited about for SES 2023?

I’m honestly so excited for the team. It is such an incredible experience to go through. So many of them will go from not really knowing how to do this to feeling confident with fundraising, communications, delegate recruitment, and so many core business skills. I can’t wait to see them evolve as every SES team has and really see what that will do for them in their careers.

What’s one piece of advice you have for the Student Energy youth network?

My biggest piece of advice for the youth network is don’t be paralyzed by choice. There are so many things that can happen in the world. There are so many opportunities, or sometimes, it can be so hard to find an opportunity. But what’s really crucial is that you keep moving forward, step by step, to make it happen. And so sometimes maybe the ideal job won’t appear. But it’s important to take what you can get in front of you and keep your values strong. Keep learning, growing, and building. Nothing is perfect and you won’t find perfect, but do what you can with what’s in front of you.

What’s one piece of advice you have for the Student Energy staff?

For the Student Energy staff, I just want to see everyone stick to it and dream really big. There’s so much you can do in each of your roles and so much that you can take hold of. It is such an incredible opportunity to have the platform of Student Energy, to have the internal support that we have, and to have the network and the opportunities that we have. So take a hold of all of that and be really clear about what you see as the need for yourself and for others. You are the target audience. 

All the best things we have [at Student Energy] have come from SE staff who are willing to take a risk. And I would love to see people continue to do that.

What’s one thing you’re excited to do now that you’re no longer Executive Director [of Student Energy]?

I honestly am still very much looking forward to being the organization’s biggest cheerleader. But beyond that, definitely looking forward to a few more dog walks, ideally a little bit less travel. But I think also, my next mission is to really explore how we continue to develop and make effective teams in all other types of sectors.

I’m really excited to actually go in and do that and take some of the skills I’ve learned in Student Energy about how to build and scale organizations and transfer that to other places that need it as well. Finally, I will not be taking on pottery as suspected (laughs).

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“Our goal for the SevenGen summit is to engage, inform, and empower delegates to build capacity, build confidence, and build a community that will drive individuals or groups to carry forward their ideas beyond the summit.” -SevenGen 2022 Council

The Power of Kinship

This year’s theme focuses on the ‘Power of Kinship’. Kinship revolves around a sense of belonging and right from birth that Indigenous Peoples have carried through many generations. This value has been echoed throughout the summit, creating spaces for Indigenous youth to be involved through capacity building, program development, mentorship, and advocacy. Panel sessions, discussions, and workshops provided a space to explore and reflect on those kinship connections, not only focusing on collaboration between all kin, but also our kinship within ourselves and with the land.

“As we progress with the goal of empowering and inspiring future Indigenous leaders and changemakers, our energy kin evolves. We want to create a shared future where we can live in a reciprocal relationship with our human and non-human kin.”-SevenGen 2022 Council

SEPTEMBER 8: ImaGENation Wanuskewin Tour and SevenGen 2022 Summit Opening Ceremonies

The 2021-2023 ImaGENation Indigenous Youth Cohort went on a tour to the Wanuskewin Heritage Park along with ImaGENation Program Manager Alexandra Thomson, ImaGENation Program Coordinators Justin Pelan, and Ray Burrage-Goodwin. The group’s tour featured learning about the elaborate history of the Plains Indigenous Peoples who have lived in the area for thousands of years, including a native plant walk and a guided tipi teaching session.

SevenGen 2022’s opening ceremonies featured a grand entry including the announcement of the summit’s dignitaries. Aly Bear welcomed the night with a keynote address, followed by a Leadership Panel featuring SevenGen Council members Mihskakwan James Harper, Danielle Kehler, and Shana Southwind, and ImaGENation Program Manager Alexandra Thomson.

SEPTEMBER 9: Leadership & Governance Panel, Partnership & Kinship Panel, Innovation Jam

Day 2 of the summit started with Tom Benjoe, an Indigenous leader in the field of business, as the keynote speaker. He encourages youth to be comfortable with their own skin and shares that he takes great pride in making sure Indigenous Peoples are being supported in the field of business.

The Leadership & Governance Panel follows shortly after, with SevenGen 2022 Co-Chair Jordyn Burnouf leading the conversation. The panelists include Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. President Aluki Kotierk, Mayor of Northern Village of La Loche and former Member of Parliament Georgina Jolibois, Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Senior Policy Advisor Graeme Reed, and Strategic Lead for Nation Building at Vuntut Gwitchin Government Jordan Peterson. This panel highlighted that systems of kinship and making spaces for Indigenous Peoples should be kept in mind by our leaders.

The Partnership & Kinship panel is led by SevenGen Council member Mihskakwan James Harper, with panelists Taylor Behn-Tsakoza of Executive Member of the National Youth Council (AFN), Heidi Dixon of SunCor, Larissa Crawford of Future Ancestors, and Darrell Brown of Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE). The panel talked about the power of kinship and how engaging the community encourages Indigenous youth to participate in the transition to an equitable and sustainable energy future.

The Innovation Jam gave space for the delegates to pitch and develop their ideas for clean energy projects in the Indigenous landscape. Through this, we were able to hear and witness the diverse ideas youth want to contribute to the growing clean energy transition.

Keynote speaker Randy Herrmann, Director of the Engineering Access Program at the University of Manitoba, talked about Indigenous cultures and the innovations they forged through time. He highlighted the sustainability of Indigenous design.

“Indigenous peoples manage entire landscapes and entire ecosystems, and thinking about their neighbors as they did. The components of Indigenous design is inherently sustainable.” – Randy Herrmann, Director of the Engineering Access Program at the University of Manitoba

SEPTEMBER 10: Finance Panel, Workshops, and Closing Ceremonies

On the final day of the summit, our keynote speaker Shannin Metatawabin, ICD.D, CEO of the National Aboriginal Capital Corporation Association (NACCA), talks about Indigenous gifts as a source of power. This is followed by a panel discussion on Finance led by SevenGen 2022 Co-Chair Nathan Kaye. the panelists include industry leaders Phillip Ducharme of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, Conrad Young of Raven Trust, Shannon Metatawabin, ICD.D, and Eryn Stewart of Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE).

Delegates joined in workshops with 4 areas of interest, including Community & Energy, Water & Energy, Food Security & Energy, and Energy Careers. Delegates actively participated in breakout rooms with their areas of choice.

SevenGen 2022: The Power of Kinship

The event was organized by the SevenGen Indigenous Youth Energy Council and Student Energy.

Watch the highlight video here.

Global Clean Energy Action Forum:

• Meredith Adler, and SevenGen Council members Mihskakwan James Harper and Serena Mendizabal met with The Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister for Natural Resources Canada, to discuss youth-led action on clean energy in Canada, and to recognize the announcement of the Government of Canada’s $5.3M contribution to promote youth participation in the clean energy sector.
• Student Energy hosted an official side event at the GCEAF, “Mobilizing Youth for a Just Transition”, moderated by Shakti Ramkumar and featuring speakers Serena Mendizabal (SevenGen), Isabella Pfoser (Austrian Youth Climate Council), Yasemin Yavari (Danish Youth Climate Council), and Efrem Bycer (LinkedIn).

• Shakti moderated the final panel at the Creating the Energy Futures Forum Closing Plenary, featuring youth clean energy researchers and advocates who outlined technologies they are eager to see scale in the near future.
• Student Energy participated in a special side event, “From blindspot to hotspot”, with Shakti moderating audience engagement for a session on sustainable cooling organized by the Government of India, UNEP, Mission Innovation, the Cool Coalition, and Clean Cooling Collaborative, and featuring special guest Secretary John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, USA.

In addition to these events, we were thrilled to meet youth delegates from around the world who participated in the GCEAF.

New York Climate Week:

• We participated in a Youth Movement Building & Climate Justice Re-Granters meeting alongside climate justice activists and re-granting/funding organizations to explore the critical resourcing needs of youth climate justice activists
• Helen spoke at the UN Global Compact Private Sector Forum, alongside Ester Baiget, CEO of Novozymes, H.E. Razan Al Mubarak, President of IUCN, Abu Dhabi, UAE, and Rebecca Miano, CEO of Kenya Electricity Generating Company

• Shakti attended the inaugural Youth Climate Leaders Luncheon, co-hosted by Ahmed Badr and Louise Mabulo, in partnership with We Are Family Foundation, SAP, Narratio, The Cacao Project, and Connect4Climate

In addition to these events, Helen and Shakti also participated in the Hub Live event, the Nest Summit, the Climate Forward Summit by the New York Times, and met with Student Energy’s alums and partners throughout the week during New York Climate Week.

It was another rollercoaster of a year for the world, and we are grateful to have experienced it together as an organization and with our global youth community. Throughout the year, we are energized by the many young people who are striving to make an impact and keep climate action at the forefront. This past year, as we continued to grow our staff and Board of Directors teams internationally, we also aligned our various program offerings into one cohesive Programs Ecosystem that provides multiple pathways for young people to engage with Student Energy. Whether young people are considering a future in energy for the very first time, or whether they are ready to launch their own energy project, there is a Student Energy program that is designed to provide youth with the tangible skills, networks, and resources needed to reach the next level. We also put into motion our most ambitious initiative yet, the Student Energy Solutions Movement, which aims to deliver on our goal of empowering young people to take action by raising $150 million by 2030 to launch 10,000 youth-led clean energy projects.

Here are some of the things we accomplished in 2021:

• We launched the Student Energy Solutions Movement, as a youth-led UN Energy Compact, in partnership with the Government of Denmark as our first funder and New Energy Nexus as our project implementation partner. The announcement was made at the UN High Level Dialogue on Energy in June, and we held an in-person launch during New York Climate Week.
• We launched the initial findings from the Global Youth Energy Outlook at COP26, with several of our Regional Coordinators attending in person to present their work.
• Student Energy’s 40 global Chapters engaged 43, 579 people in 2021 through in-person and virtual community engagements.
• Our Energy System Map web and video views have continued to rise, reaching a total of 14 million+ lifetime views, with 2.5 million of those just in 2021.
• For COP 26 in Glasgow, we brought together our largest youth delegation yet, supporting 8 of our team members to attend and speak at over 10 events, and collaborated with many other Student Energy alumni in attendance.
• We continued expanding our core programs, including the second cohort of the Student Energy Fellowship (formerly known as the Leaders Fellowship), and the fourth annual cohort of the Greenpreneurs virtual startup incubator.
• The Intersectional Equity Taskforce completed their term, and put together a set of ambitious recommendations to be implemented in coming years.
• Led by SevenGen and powered by Student Energy and Indigenous Clean Energy, we supported the launch of the ImaGENation Indigenous Youth Mentorship Program in 2021, and continued the planning process for the second SevenGen Indigenous Youth Energy Summit, rescheduled to be held in 2022.
• Student Energy’s team grew from 25 staff members to 29 staff and 7 international Associates.
• We provided $133,000 in funding directly to young people to support them with honorariums and awards to help them take action on energy, and are gearing up to launch our direct-to-youth funding model, Student Energy Ventures, in 2022.

We adapted our plans and programs in a big way this year, and we couldn’t have done it without you – thank
you. Whether you learned about Student Energy for the first time this year, joined us as a partner or a program participant, or cheered us on through social media, your support allows us to continue making an impact. Here are some of the things we accomplished this year:

• We grew our network to 47 chapters in 22 countries, who engaged over 16,000 youth in 2020.
• We launched the first Leaders Fellowship cohort in January, and ended the year with 47 global teams completing their 10-month program. We’re set for an even bigger year in 2021, as we bring in 90+ teams for the second cohort in response to overwhelming demand for the program.
• The Global Youth Outlook survey is now available in eight languages, and we are working with a global youth team of Regional Coordinators to reach 50,000 young people in the lead-up to COP26.
• Our Energy System Map and video users skyrocketed this year, reaching a total of 10 Million+ users, with 2.5 million of those just in 2020, as more students and educators turned to digital energy learning resources. This year, we launched the  new Energy System Map at  www.studentenergy.org, featuring the new “Influences” layer, to help young people understand how to change the energy system.
• We provided $120,000 in funding directly to young people to support them with honorariums and awards to help them take  action on energy, and are working on an even more ambitious direct-to-youth funding strategy for 2021.
• To date Student Energy has now partnered with 90 organizations to make space for youth, we’ve developed new models for intergenerational collaboration that will continue to expand through 2021.
• Student Energy’s team grew from 9 to 25 staff members
• As a youth-led organization, we are excited to see that youth leadership for bold, just climate action is being recognized more often on the global stage. We are hopeful for this recognition to grow into more meaningful support and resources for youth-led climate and energy solutions in 2021. To make this happen, we think there’s a lot more that organizations, governments, and those in power need to do to fully empower and equip youth with the tools and resources they need to take action.

NATHAN KAYE

CO-CHAIR

Nathan‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌returning‌ ‌team‌ ‌member‌ ‌from‌ ‌the‌ ‌first‌ ‌SevenGen,‌ ‌coming‌ ‌from‌ ‌Zagime‌ ‌Anishinabek‌ ‌in‌ ‌Treaty‌ ‌4‌ ‌territory‌ ‌now‌ ‌residing‌ ‌in‌ ‌Treaty‌ ‌7‌ ‌in‌ ‌Calgary.‌ ‌He‌ ‌is‌ ‌currently‌ ‌studying‌ ‌Finance‌ ‌at‌ ‌SAIT‌ ‌and‌ ‌after‌ ‌striving‌ ‌to‌ ‌obtain‌ ‌his‌ ‌Bachelor’s‌ ‌by‌ ‌June‌ ‌of‌ ‌2021‌ ‌wants‌ ‌to‌ ‌pursue‌ ‌a‌ ‌Master’s‌ ‌Degree‌ ‌in‌ ‌Finance.‌ ‌Nathan‌ ‌is‌ ‌currently‌ ‌working‌ ‌on‌ ‌a‌ ‌food‌ ‌sovereignty‌ ‌project‌ ‌with‌ ‌Tsuut’ina‌ ‌Nation‌ ‌which‌ ‌includes‌ ‌the‌ ‌set‌ ‌up‌ ‌of‌ ‌a‌ ‌geothermal‌ ‌greenhouse‌ ‌for‌ ‌year-round‌ ‌food‌ ‌production.‌ ‌He‌ ‌has‌ ‌aspirations‌ ‌to‌ ‌work‌ ‌with‌ ‌Indigenous‌ ‌communities‌ ‌bringing‌ ‌green‌ ‌initiatives‌ ‌and‌ ‌projects‌ ‌to‌ ‌those‌ ‌communities‌ ‌while‌ ‌inspiring‌ ‌indigenous‌ ‌youth‌ ‌to‌ ‌play‌ ‌a‌ ‌role‌ ‌in‌ ‌being‌ ‌stewards‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌land.

JORDYN BURNOUF

CO-CHAIR
Jordyn Burnouf is a member of the Black Lake First Nation in Treaty 8 and grew up in the Métis community of Île-à-la-Crosse in Treaty 10, SK. Jordyn is an Associate with the consulting company, Medicine Rope Strategies (M-R Strategies), dedicated to providing sustainable, practical and innovative approaches to community, economic and strategic partnership development. With a strong passion and relationship with the land, Jordyn is currently working on clean energy initiatives with a focus on land based teachings and the connection to environment and energy, cultural inclusion, and youth engagement. Jordyn is leading her communities energy efficiency project as part of Indigenous Clean Energy’s national initiative, Bringing it Home, to address the housing and energy needs of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit communities in Canada. Jordyn continues to advocate and create space for youth and women in the energy sector in Canada as a member of Indigenous Clean Energy’s Advisory Council, and as the Co-Chair of the 2021 SevenGen Indigenous Youth Energy Summit.

SYDNEY KUPPENBENDER

VICE-CHAIR, PROGRAM

Tanisi, Sydney Kuppenbender nitisithikason, I’m a Metis woman from Northern Saskatchewan and entering my final year of my Bachelor of Science in Renewable Resource Management, Resource Science major at the University of Saskatchewan. I am fiercely passionate about the role clean energy projects can play in empowering Indigenous communities to become independent, sovereign nations and I hope to direct my education towards expanding this movement once I graduate in 2021. Furthermore, my recent research centers on exploring the role traditional knowledge has played in building the foundation of the modern sustainability movement. I am excited to hold the role of Vice-Chair of Program for SevenGen 2020.

SHANA SOUTHWIND

VICE-CHAIR, MARKETING

Shana Southwind is an Anishinaabekwe from Lac Seul First Nation who passionately studies the deep rooted connection between Indigenous Peoples wellness and the environment. Shana is currently in her fourth and final year of the Honours Bachelor of Social Work Program with a Minor in Indigenous Studies at Carleton University. Shana believes Indigenous wellness is achieved through traditional cultural practice which is deeply interwoven with Mother Earth and all of her entities. Shana strongly advocates for the global transition to a sustainable energy future that will ensure the protection and preservation of Mother Earth for all future generations to come. Shana feels blessed to be a part of the SevenGen 2020 organizing committee and strives to maximize Indigenous youth involvement in this powerful movement.

SERENA MENDIZABAL

VICE-CHAIR, LOGISTICS AND EVENTS

Serena Mendizabal is a 21-year Cayuga Wolf Clan, Panamanian woman from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory with a passion for sustainable community development through an Indigenous autonomy and decolonization perspective. Serena is a new graduate of Western University where she studied a double major in Indigenous Studies and Media, Information, and Technoculture. While being away at school in London, Ontario, Serena came home to her community in the summers and had the opportunity to work with multiple organizations such as Six Nations of the Development Corporation, Six Nations Community Plan, and Six Nations Polytechnic when they organized the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education. These opportunities have empowered her as a young leader to gain more experiences and education to help her further skills and ways of knowing to create a better future for her family and community. Serena has fueled her interests for sustainability, energy, and Indigenous culture with her extracurriculars at Western by co-founding Student Energy’s Western Chapter and the Climate Crisis Coalition at UWO, while developing a passion for community-based research as a research assistant to Dr. Diana Lewis on A SHARED Future’s Tobique First Nation, We Lived This Way Before project and part of the FIMS’ Fellowship, Smoke Signals Archive Project. Serena will be continuing a Masters in Geography and Environment focusing on Indigenous Health and Environment, as she hopes to focus on natural resource resilience, renewable energy access for Indigenous communities, and the impacts this has on Indigenous health and wellbeing through a decolonial lens.

Serena is very grateful to be a part of the SevenGen planning committee this year, as she believes this summit has the power to bring so many Indigenous youth together for one common goal of creating a sustainable future for the next generations.

MIHSKAKWAN JAMES HARPER

VICE-CHAIR, SPONSORSHIP

Mihskakwan James Harper is from Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 8, Alberta. He graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering and is currently pursuing a Masters of Science in Renewable Energy from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Ecole Polytechnique, with entrepreneurial training from ESADE Business School. He is passionate about the carbon free future, particularly within the power and mobility sectors. He loves his family and his community now and generations ahead, which inspires him to work with youth to build a future that is sustainable and empowers all.

DANIELLE KEHLER

VICE-CHAIR, DELEGATE RELATIONS

Danielle Kehler is a Plains Cree woman from the Kawacatoose First Nation on Treaty Four territory in Saskatchewan residing on Treaty Seven territory. She is an Indigenous artist focused on the resiliency of Indigenous people healing from intergenerational trauma by deconstructing colonial structures and reclaiming an Indigenous narrative. Danielle shares stories through her art by showcasing the true beauty and meaning of Indigenous culture and people. She is also one of the North American Representatives for the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative Challenge Team which is a CEO-led oil and gas industry initiative that aims to accelerate the industry’s response to climate action; the Challenge Team have been tasked with making recommendations that will help shape the low carbon future of some of the worlds largest energy companies. Currently in her third year of studies for her Bachelors of Commerce in Business Management at the University of Saskatchewan. Danielle is also a youth worker and the current Mentorship Coordinator with the Mentorship Transitions Program for Canada Bridges Social Development. Danielle is both thrilled and excited to be part of the SevenGen 2020 Planning Committee and cannot wait to meet and work with everyone involved.

JUKIPA KOTIERK

VICE-CHAIR, DELEGATE RELATIONS

Jukipa Kotierk is an Inuk, who resides in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Inuit Nunangat. She graduated from Trent University with a BaH in Indigenous Studies with a minor in Psychology in 2018, and is looking to pursue nursing. She currently works in the Health field with her territories government and engages in community work that is based in life promotion. She aims to create brave spaces that explore suicide prevention through the intersectionalities that exist via reconnecting with environmental work, cultural pride and expression as well as creating conversation around increased reclaimation of Inuit LGBTQQ2S+ gender expressions and ways of being. Jukipa is excited to be part of the SevenGen 2020 Planning Committee, and is a Vice-Chair for Delegate Relations.

New to this annual report is a section titled “Reflecting on 2019: What we learned”. Student Energy runs on a youth empowerment model, which means that the priorities and needs of our 50,000-strong global youth network are central to the strategic direction of the organization. We want to make sure that we are listening to, and acting on young people’s feedback,  so we’ve synthesized the main priorities we’ve heard from our youth network (which include a focus on justice and equity in the energy transition, calls for transparency, a greater need for mentorship, and the importance of intergenerational collaboration), and discussed how we’re taking action on them.

We hope to continue to share these learnings and our process, to continually improve transparency and accountability with our youth network.

In this report, we also review our takeaways from 2019’s biggest projects: 

• Our growing Chapters program, now with 40 chapters who engaged 8,100 people through their 2019 projects
• Our 6th International Student Energy Summit in London, which brought together 650 students from 98 countries
• Hosting a Young Leaders Forum at the Clean Energy Ministerial and Mission Innovation Forum – a first for this high level ministerial event
• SevenGen, the first Indigenous Student Energy Summit
• Our role at the UN Climate Summit in New York as an official delivery partner of the UN Secretary General
• Running the second annual Greenpreneurs business pitch competition with Youth Climate Lab and the Global Green Growth Initiative, in which the 3 winning teams (all women-led!) received USD$5000 in seed funding to scale their initiatives
• Finally, we look forward to 2020, which is set to be an even bigger year – for Student Energy, and for world leaders to commit to truly bold and equitable climate action. We came away from 2019’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP25), disappointed by the lack of ambition shown by world leaders, but incredibly inspired by the leadership shown by young people and Indigenous communities from around the world. We’re bringing that spirit into our work in 2020.