Stories that inspire

Created in 1979, ENvironnement JEUnesse (ENJEU) is an educational organization that seeks to raise awareness of environmental issues among Quebec youth, give them tools for action, and encourage them to act in their communities.  ENvironnement JEUnesse is also a network that emphasizes the development of critical thinking and lets engaged youth have their say, allowing them to voice their concerns, their points of view and their ideas for solutions regarding current environmental problems. Its citizen engagement activity and its educational projects cover several issues, including waste management, transport, energy and climate, responsible consumption, water, and incorporating sustainable development principles into institutional and commercial settings.

In 2019, the organization launched Jeunes leaders pour l’environnement (website in French) with a view to training a new generation of young ambassadors for climate, aged 16 to 35, able to speak to a variety of audiences, and ready to help mobilize young people on climate issues.

After nearly a year’s worth of engagement on a volunteer basis, the second cohort of the Young Leaders has brought out the product of its work: an educational comic-book style publication on the major climate crisis issues, and a toolbook that aims to make the crisis more understandable as well as democratizing youth activism using personal stories. These two booklets (in French), available free of charge on the ENvironnement JEUnesse website, are directed at youth 15 years of age or older.

I am convinced that if we inform, equip and motivate other young people on the climate crisis, change is possible, and the change will be positive. — Marianne Renauld Robitaille, Young Leader for the Environment