TakingITGlobal

When we hear about climate change, we just talk about the oil sands or the wildfires in B.C. That's kind of a constant climate change topic here in Canada, or at least in Alberta, so its really interesting to see the different perspectives that each country's representatives had, as to how climate change affects them, and it's so different from what we think of as a priority here. Like public transit, our public transit in Calgary is pretty good but youth from other countries are like, "we don't have public transit, everybody drives their own cars" ( C A L G A R Y 2 , I N T E R V I E W ) . Team members also exchanged ideas about climate action, providing them with inspiration for their own cities: I've always thought that how to address climate change was all about planting trees and reducing pollution by reducing the number of cars, but now I'm here and I hear all these things from other countries and I'm like—WOW I never think of that! They give me an insight. ( J A K A R T A , I N D O N E S I A ) The fact that we get to collaborate with people from 5 other continents and 12 other countries and cities throughout the globe is really cool. Speaking with them… I can see initiatives they're taking up, all of us can talk about these initiatives and then take them up in own cities. ( D E L H I , I N T E R V I E W ) Similar to findings by Yonezawa et al. (2009) and Pina et al. (2017), the collective sharing of first-hand experiences generated an awareness of climate change greater than that provided by direct personal experiences. Team members were also able to relate to each other: I see people and realize that they're different but at the same time they're human. They are very like me, you know. They are teenagers. ( S Ã O P A U L O , I N T E R V I E W ) In direct contrast to experiences of apathy from other teenagers at home, youth in this project validated each other's passions, offering a key source of inspiration. Peer modeling has been recognized as a powerful tool for promoting youth activism, leadership, and an enhanced sense of political efficacy (Hoang 2013). De Vreede, Warner, and Pitter (2014) found that peer education allowed young people to learn the skills, values, and knowledge integral to incite action and change behavior. The best part is meeting other people who care about climate change... It's the most wonderful thing to be around people who care about something as passionately as you do. ( A C C R A , I N T E R V I E W ) A participant from Delhi contemplated why peers at home may not care, explaining that they don't have the same opportunities to become so personally engaged and supported. 54 | F I N D I N G S

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