At its core, Youth Climate Corps BC is the product of individuals who are passionate about making real and lasting change in the lives of young people. That’s why, by getting to know the team behind what we do, you get a full picture of YCCBC’s commitment to creating a more sustainable and equitable future.
With that in mind, we’ve started an interview series with members of the YCCBC team. First up is a conversation with Ben Simoni, the Executive Director of YCCBC. Ben is a dedicated advocate for youth in climate action and has been with Youth Climate Corps since the beginning, merging his passion for climate work with empowering young leaders.
Can you tell me about your background in climate action work? How did you get involved in YCCBC?
Ben: “I taught outdoor education for about ten years or so, and during that time I was leading expeditions and teaching about leadership, working with a team, and all these other pieces.
Through that time, I got to see the leadership potential that young people bring to everything they do. Knowing that they’re given opportunities, they can really shine with them, which is really cool. So I did that work for a while, and then I did my master’s in environmental management, and from that, I was connected with Avery, who’s now on the [YCCBC] board.
When I first heard about Youth Climate Corps, I was immediately like, I need to get involved. I really wanted to work in something relating to climate, and [I appreciate] how young people in their early 20s [have] so much learning potential and leadership potential. [I want to give] them more opportunities to become leaders while paying them a living wage.”
Through working with YCCBC, what have you learned about how to facilitate effective responses to climate change?
Ben: “I think that not getting carbon tunnel vision feels important. I think there’s a lot of work that is just purely focused on emissions reductions, which is super important. We do need to reduce our emissions, and without doing that, everything else we do is going to be meaningless. But [to look] at how to reduce emissions, we need to look at how to maintain and empower marginalized communities that have been previously negatively impacted by fossil fuel companies and by the economic regime that we’re in right now.
Really good climate action is grounded in the community, and it’s intersectional, and it lifts up the communities and the young people who have been previously disadvantaged by fossil fuels.”
Why is empowering specifically young people in climate work important to you?
Ben: “Well, for one, young people are going to be impacted by the climate crisis throughout their lives. They are key stakeholders in climate action. Young people, when they’re starting a career, you’re making a major choice in your life, and we see this as a huge opportunity for getting young people on track to good careers.
If young people aren’t given these opportunities, then maybe [they will] go and learn the old way of doing things, or they will go into industries that will not be as prosperous as they have been, for example, like oil and gas. Then you’re not setting them up for a lifetime of success within their careers.”
What is a YCCBC project that you’re particularly proud of?
Ben: “Right now, the project that I think I’m most excited about is the Kwakwaka’wakw revitalization project, which is on north Vancouver Island, and it’s run primarily out of Alert Bay. It’s such inspiring work they’re doing; they’re doing such cool work in the community and really attracting a lot of excitement, and the work they’re doing is so important. Right now, they’re working with the ‘Namgis First Nation on doing green crab research, which is an invasive species that is threatening salmon populations.
Indigenous sovereignty is critical for climate action, and as settlers, we have so much to learn from [these communities]. You know, a lot of them have already been through apocalypses or major changes in their communities from colonization. They know how to adapt to changing climates. It’s really cool to see the work that is happening around there.”
What makes YCCBC special? Why should a community partner with YCCBC?
Ben: “What we do [is unique]. I’m not aware of other organizations that pay a living wage that do climate action work. I’d say that if communities are going to be paying for getting work done in their community around climate action, they should be paying local people to get that work done to really empower the next generation of climate leaders. That’s really what we can bring to the table there.”
What are your goals for YCCBC over the next couple of years? How would you like to see the organization grow and change?
Ben: “I would like to see us be able to offer a more diverse set of really good, solid programming. I would like to see [YCCBC] be offered as programming to communities all across BC.
I get emails all the time from young people wanting to train with the Youth Climate Corps, and we just don’t have enough work. So I think that’s one piece of it, is continuing to grow and continue to serve young people. I envision this organization or program that has really strong learning outcomes and is cultivating a next generation of climate leaders in communities, and is doing work that is very important to communities as well.”
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