Monkey Rebel Society
2024 Youth Climate Activism Award - Group Award - Essay
Monkey Rebel Society β is a group of 11-15 year olds in British Columbia.
Their website their Youtube Channel
We are the Monkey Rebel Society
We are a group of middle schoolers who are passionate about climate action, improving our community and our planet.
Here are a few things we have done so far:
The motion with the city: We went to City Hall and presented a motion to turn New Westminster into a 15-minute city. It passed! We put together a kit for any young people out there, so they can do the same in their cities. You can find more about it on our website, or by watching this video!
Elementary school visit in 2023: A new climate activism club started at Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary, and we helped them learn what they can do to make a successful club. We presented to about 50 eager little kids!
Meeting with the minister of environment and climate change strategy: After our 15-minute city motion win, we were invited to meet Minister George Heyman, along with Minister Jennifer Whiteside, to talk about how we can stop climate change. We gave them both lots of great suggestions, and were invited to come to Parliament next year to present to the Budget committee! We will ask for free transit for youth, as well as to add Climate Action education in schools from K to 12.
Monkey Rebels Meet Ministers Whiteside and Heyman
The Climate Action Conference 2024: We presented at the Climate Action Conference at NWSS High School. We shared what we have accomplished with the older kids to energize them. So many think they canβt do anything because they are kids, but we found that adults listen to us!
22nd Street Competition: We entered our ideas for the 22nd ReGenerate Ideas Challenge, to develop the neighbourhood around the 22nd street Skytrain station in a way that was green and inclusive. We won the prize of Top Local Community Idea!
View the full PDF HERE.
Earth day 2024: The local Climate action association asked us for help with Earth day. We successfully ran a booth of our own, informing lots of people about climate change, and how they can help! We had a prize wheel, pollinator seeds as prizes, and a goodie bag draw.
Current projects: We are working on Social Justice and Climate Action lesson plans to distribute with librarians, as well as trying to make our lunches compostable in our school district.
We work hard because we want to wake people up. We need the whole world to take action. If we fight now, there is still a chance to fix this mess. We still have a chance for our kids to know what animals and nature are. We still have a chance to keep our oceans clean. We still have a chance to stop all the heat waves and floods. We still have a chance to save our planet. Letβs work together, for right now, and for the future.
As part of the submissions application we asked participants to answer these 3 questions in addition to their essay or video.
What future goals do you have around your environmental and climate work, and do you have any future projects in mind?
We are working on lesson plans for our district to help teach about climate change and climate action. We want to make neighboring cities 15 minute cities, and spread information about the crisis we are in. We want our province to include Climate Change into the curriculum, not just on grade 7 but on every year, so we are speaking at the parliament budget meeting in Victoria next year to ask for this to happen. Go Earth!
If you could share with us one message of hope for our planet, what would it be?
We, the youth, can make this change happen. We can put pressure on government and fossil fuel companies, and point out alternative options for energy for all people. There is still hope. Let's light a spark that spreads all around the world!
Who or what inspires you to work on climate change?
Our future inspires us to work towards a common goal. We have a vision of what we know is possible, but we need everyone on board for us and our descendants.