Project
What’s the Council’s project all about?
The project starts with a Core Challenge relating to how well we all understand what’s needed when we take water from the environment.In this project, The Youth Water Council approach evolved as a new way to explore the project’s core challenge and take action to respond to it.
The Core Challenge
Water is a limited resource that supports all of us and the environment we live in and enjoy. Our population and our economy put demands on our water resources, and water is required to sustain the natural environment. We put rules in place as a way to balance the demand for water with the needs of people and the environment. Some feel this is too restrictive or too time-consuming, while others feel the rules may not sufficiently protect the environment.
Our challenge
We need to find a way to help everyone understand the rules for taking and using water and why those rules are in place. How can we communicate this well?
Who is the Youth Water Council?
The Youth Water Council project has partnered with 4-H Alberta to pilot this youth-led approach, so the Council will be made up of around 20 senior 4-H members (age 15‑19) from the east central region of the province.
What are the benefits for
Council members?
Youth Water Council members will harness their learning, leadership, and creativity skills and will be in the driver seat to:
- Learn about the rules for taking water from Alberta’s rivers and lakes,
- Create their own descriptions of the withdrawal rules and why those rules are important,
- Decide on and design ways to communicate about water withdrawals to Albertans.
How is it going to work?
The Council will hear from and question experts in water regulation, environmental science, and communications so they can learn about water withdrawals
Design target audience ‘avatars’ and decide how to focus their communications projects by getting input from their fellow club and community members
Create a Council version of the rules for water withdrawal and develop projects to communicate to Albertans what the Council has learned and feels is important.
The Council will work in a mixture of virtual sessions and a weekend in-person gathering during the fall to learn and then develop their projects.