Discover how youth leadership and innovation can contribute to addressing global climate change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by joining our upcoming webinar series titled “Fostering Youth-Led Innovation for the SDGs.” Produced in partnership between the Entrepreneurship and Environment at the University of Waterloo and Centre for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, this series will explore ‘how’ and ‘why’ transformative approaches to education can be used as a vehicle for empowering young people to drive the type of innovations and entrepreneurial ventures that are necessary to drive progress on the 2030 agenda.
The webinars, held from June to October, will cover topics such as sustainability curriculum design, scaling and commercializing sustainable ventures, climate communications and much more. Designed to be inclusive in its content delivery and relevancy, this series is open to all with a passion for driving systemic change for sustainable development. Additionally, this series will tie into COP28, where a white paper on sustainability education will be presented in Dubai to emphasize the criticality of transformative educational approaches that empower young entrepreneurs as global citizens for sustainability.
Webinar Series Details:
Purpose: Foster youth leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurial capabilities through transformative approaches to sustainability education and training.
Target Audience(s): Youth (18-30), educators, trainers, practitioners, entrepreneurs, and researchers.
Timeline: Spanning from June to October 2023, this webinar series consists of six virtual webinars led by experts in the field on topics including sustainability curriculum development, youth innovation and leadership skills development, and ethics in action, among other themes relating to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and youth leadership.
Accessibility: Webinars will be delivered with live translation in English, French, and Spanish. Webinars will also incorporate a range of innovative approaches to knowledge dissemination, mobilization, and translation.
Registration: Visit the provided registration links for each webinar in the table below.
| Date & Time | Topic | Registration |
| Monday, June 12th, 2023, 2:00-3:00pm EST | Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) integration in universities | Click here |
| Monday, July 10th, 2023, [Time] | Engaging youth in curriculum design for climate justice | Click here |
| Monday, August 14th, 2023, [Time] | Strategies for climate communication in early-career professional settings | Click here |
| Monday, September 11th, 2023, [Time] | Mindfulness, citizenship, & engagement | Click here |
| Tuesday, October 10th, 2023, [Time] | Global Citizenship in Carbon Capture, Use, and Storage (CCUS) and New Carbon Economy | Click here |
| Monday, October 23rd, 2023, [Time] | Ethics in Action: the role of CBOs and NGOs | Click here |
Partnership: This series has been developed by the University of Waterloo’s North American EcoInnovation Network and Columbia University’s Centre for Sustainable Development collaborate in partnership Developed in partnership with the North American EcoInnovation Network (EIN), Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), Sustainable Development Solutions Network Canada, USA, and Mexico.
COP28 Connection: As we embark on the path towards COP 28 in Dubai, UAE, it is our belief that the discussions that take place during this series must serve as our proverbial start line. The series represents the beginning of continuing efforts to catalyze work on Mission 4.7 and advances the UNESCO initiative on education for sustainable development. The webinar series will contribute to the development of a white paper on sustainability education, which will be presented at COP28, emphasizing the need to link educational systems with youth leadership for climate action.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn, share, and collaborate in fostering youth-led innovation for a sustainable future. Visit the respective organization websites for more updates and information.
Nicholas Palaschuk
PhD Candidate, Sustainability Management
EIN Advisor- Partnerships & Programs
University of Waterloo
npwpalas@uwaterloo.ca
