GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n youth from across Canada flew into Inuvik for a three-day session this week. Their mission: bring climate change leadership back to their home communities.

FutureXChange, which kicked off Thursday and wraps later today, is the result of a partnership between GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n Tribal Council and the Youth Climate Lab.

It's taking place at the Youth Centre.

The participants received community engagement training grounded in traditional knowledge. The idea is youth will return home to facilitate climate action, and continue to participate with upcoming phases of the project that further include southern youth trained in climate policy.

The overall project aims to gather eight GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n and eight southern youth, aged 18 to 30 years old, SA国际影视传媒渢o directly engage over 280 people and reach more than 150,000 people in climate awareness and capacity-building activities.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淭his is a very action-oriented event," project manager Dakota Norris explained. "We really hope that not only during (their time in Inuvik) but during the remainder of this project they will continue to carry that action forward."

Elder Mary Teya joined the youth and shared her own knowledge and experience with climate change, before the youth split into smaller groups. In these splinter discussions, they wrote about how climate change affects their lives and how they see it in their communities.

Norris said they wrote about the economic and social dynamics that come with the impacts of a changing climate. Day two focused on mitigating those impacts, and day three saw the teens develop strategies to help adapt.

The hope was to impart traditional knowledge in a northern and GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n context, he said.

Melding communication, traditional knowledge, and policy skills, he said the overall hope of the project is the youth become SA国际影视传媒渃limate change ambassadors in their communities.SA国际影视传媒� That could take the shape of anything from forming a youth council to organizing events in the community.

SA国际影视传媒淭here are a lot of youth in all of our communities who are really motivated to take action on climate change. And theySA国际影视传媒檙e motivated to learn, take time out of their schedules and lives to do so. I just really look forward to seeing where they go in the future. I hope their communities listen to what they have to say.SA国际影视传媒�

For one of these participants, Rayna Vittrekwa, early planning for her community engagement was more SA国际影视传媒渨ord vomitSA国际影视传媒� but she said SA国际影视传媒渨as really excited and had a lot of ideasSA国际影视传媒� to bring back to her community. That includes facilitating a panel discussion with local leaders, and hosting workshops that raise environmental consciousness.

She said this engagement creates SA国际影视传媒渁 ripple effect. Especially when youSA国际影视传媒檙e dealing with people, they could (share it) with their community or their friends. When you educate people about these issues they want to make a difference too.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淭hey know the climate is changing, and global warming and everything, but they donSA国际影视传媒檛 know the specifics,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

Nicole Lawson and Angela KoeSA国际影视传媒檚 group proposed incorporating elders and leaders in the process would help, while consulting with the wider communities.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou could do that through like having tea and bannock with them, hosting something at Town Hall, making sure the community is involved,SA国际影视传媒� Koe said.

Teya was glad to be guiding the youth through the conversation. She said the issue was wide-ranging, and youth involvement could encourage larger community action. As they do so, with the process set in place by the FutureXChange program, they absorb traditional knowledge.

She said it's important to get through to people on the community level.

"ItSA国际影视传媒檚 a concern, and itSA国际影视传媒檚 going to affect all of us, so we all need to be part of talking about it and what we can do.SA国际影视传媒�