Climate action workshops & funding
Opportunities for youth-led climate action.
Our grants and workshops support youth-led climate and environmental initiatives.
Climate Action Grants
Clean Climate Action Grants help youth in Nova Scotia take action to address climate change in their communities. These grants of up to $500 can be used to turn a project idea into a reality.
Youth may apply individually or as groups with support from a teacher, community leader, or other adult mentor (age 19+) who will oversee their project.
Application deadline: February 28, 2025
Climate Action Workshops
In these solutions-focused workshops, Clean’s environmental educators will guide your students through hands-on learning experiences that lead to real climate action! Students will be empowered with the skills, tools and inspiration they need to address climate change in their own communities.
Choose from three different workshop themes:
- Seeds for Success: Growing Food Indoors
- Soil Solutions: Exploring Composting
- Fashion for the Future: Sustainable Fashion and Upcycling
Climate Action Grants
Download your free teacher and student application guides below for the full application process.
Not sure if your project counts as a “climate action”? Seeking inspiration or advice about how to connect your climate action project to curriculum outcomes? Chat with a member of our Clean Climate Action Grants team!
Past projects
Our Clean Climate Action Grants have funded dozens of youth-led environmental projects across Nova Scotia. Check out these inspiring project ideas from some of our past grant recipients!
Miner’s Marsh Invasive Species Project – Kentville, NS
Grade 7 Science students at Kings County Academy used their Clean Climate Action Grant to help restore a local ecosystem near their school. They worked throughout the year to remove Goutweed, an invasive plant. Then, they planted over 30 native plants from a local nursery including Swamp Milkweed, Joe Pye Weed, and Elderberry.
Wood Chip Composter and Heater – Weymouth, NS
Grade 10 Science students at Saint Mary’s Bay Academy constructed a unique composting system that also generates heat to help warm their school’s greenhouse. They worked together over the course of five classes to construct the composter, then they maintained it throughout the year to produce compost for local gardens in their community.
Reduce, Reuse, More Fun! – Dartmouth, NS
Grade 6 students at Robert Turner Kempt Elementary School learned to sew and decorate their own reusable tote bags that can be used over and over again. The students researched the best materials to use, ordered everything they needed, and worked as a class to learn simple sewing skills. They are very proud of their unique, handmade reusable bags!
Who is eligible?
Clean Climate Action Grants are available to youth across Nova Scotia in grades primary to 12. Youth may apply individually or as a group. Project groups can be made up of friends, a school class, a club/team, or another community youth group.
Projects must take place within Nova Scotia.
Youth must have a teacher or other adult mentor (age 19+) identified in the application process. This individual will be responsible for receiving funds, supporting youth actions, and communicating with Clean on project activities.
Any fundraising done in conjunction with this grant must also further climate action efforts.
How much funding can I apply for?
You can apply for a maximum of $500 towards your climate action project. There is no minimum application amount.
Is this project aligned with the Nova Scotia curriculum?
Yes! Youth-led climate action projects can be wonderful opportunities for cross-curricular learning and achieving Nova Scotia’s Essential Graduation Competencies.
Across different grade levels and courses, youth-led climate action projects can help meet specific curriculum outcomes related to environmental science, sustainable development, citizenship, and social action.
What are some examples of youth-led climate action projects?
Here are some examples of youth-led climate action projects that you could take on with the help of a Clean Climate Action Grant!
- Plant a pollinator meadow in your neighborhood or on your school grounds using plant species that are native to Nova Scotia.
- Reduce the need for single-use items by purchasing reusable cutlery, dishes, mugs, or hand towels for your school or a local community center.
- Host a clothing swap, start a mini thrift store at your school or teach other youth how to up-cycle old textiles (such as clothing, sheets, and towels) into useful new items.
- Organize a local food showcase where you cook a community meal for your school or neighborhood featuring local, in-season food items grown here in Nova Scotia.
- Create beautiful artwork with climate-related messages to spread awareness in your community. Paint a mural (with permission) on the side of a local building or host an art show.
- Make a ‘zine’ about climate action and the environment. Work with friends & classmates to gather creative entries for your zine, like art, poetry, recipes, creative writing and photos.
- Purchase public transit passes and host an event to promote public transportation. You could teach others how to use transit safely and ride the bus or ferry together as a group.
- Set up outdoor compost bins in your school yard or an indoor vermicompost (worm composting) system at your school to turn food waste into rich soil for gardening.
- Lead a nature walk, group bike ride or other outdoor recreation activity to help people in your community connect with nature and learn about active transportation.
How involved should youth be?
Youth participants in grades primary to 12 should be involved throughout the process of envisioning and implementing the climate action project. The degree of youth leadership on the project will depend on the age and maturity of the youth involved.
Elementary-aged children can help brainstorm project ideas, vote for their favorite and think through the project steps. They can also be highly involved in the hands-on implementation of the project. The adult mentor may need to submit the online application and develop the project budget.
Junior high and high school-aged youth may come up with their own project ideas, think through the steps required and write their own draft responses to the application questions. Support and advice from the adult mentor may be required for creating the budget and finalizing the application responses.
How do I apply?
Email youth@cleanfoundation.ca to receive your free teacher & student application guides to read the full application process.
Here’s a short summary of what’s required in your application:
- Project title and description
- Benefits of the project
- Summary of the step-by-step action plan
- List of items to be purchased
- Contact information for adult mentor
- Information about the youth group
Note: Applications will not be reviewed until after the nearest deadline. If your action project is seasonal or time-sensitive and cannot wait until the deadline, please reach out to youth@cleanfoundation.ca. We will be happy to work with you to find a solution.
I still have more questions!
If you have further questions about Clean Climate Action Grants, please reach out to youth@cleanfoundation.ca.
We’d be happy to schedule a 30-minute virtual meeting with you to provide more information about the program, talk through your project ideas and offer advice for your application.
Climate Action Workshops
Empower your learners with the skills they need to lead real climate action projects in their communities.
These workshops can be adapted to ensure age-appropriate and curriculum-connected learning for students in elementary, middle and high school. Workshops are offered in-person and are available at no cost to schools and community groups anywhere in Nova Scotia.
“[The learners] loved how you assigned the different “jobs” and each student got to take part in a hands-on portion of setting up the garden. Everything was very student-centred.”- Grade 6 teacher about Seeds for Success
Seeds for Success
Designed for: Grades 4-12 (content and activities adapted for student grade level)
Status: Full for the 2024-2025 school year
How is growing a garden tied to supporting your community? What’s the connection between a healthy lifestyle and food literacy? How can local food systems address climate change? By tackling issues around food literacy, food security, and local agriculture, this workshop will help break down barriers to growing and sourcing produce in sustainable ways.
Using hands-on experiences and real-world examples of projects supporting Nova Scotians, this workshop will help to sprout learners’ confidence in growing their own food, root their understanding of where food comes from and its true cost, and feed their knowledge of how their food choices are a form of climate action!
Note: We are excited to supply a limited number of classes with hydroponic garden kits as part of this workshop! These kits are valued at $500 and are available on a first come, first served basis. If you have received a SucSeed kit from us in the past or otherwise already have one, we will work with your learners to set it up during their workshop.
Format: In-person.
Time requirements: One and a half to two hours.
Location requirements: Classroom.
Language: This program is currently delivered in English.
Curriculum connections:
Grade 4-6: Sustainability and interconnectiveness, body functions, diversity and ecosystems, what plants need to grow.
Grade 7-8: Netukulimk, environmental stewardship, cell and system health, plant science climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Grade 9-12: Weather dynamics, sustainability of ecosystems, biodiversity, interactions among living things, food science, food security, food literacy, green careers.
Soil Solutions
Designed for: Grades P-12 (content and activities adapted for student grade level)
Status: Full for the 2024-2025 school year
What is soil, and why should we care about it? What’s the connection between soil health and human health? How can composting help us solve climate change? Does sorting our waste really matter, anyway? By exploring soil formation, soil ecosystems and the importance of composting, this interactive workshop will help students see that exciting climate change solutions might be… just beneath their feet.
Through hands-on activities and engaging conversations, students will learn about composting as a climate solution and how they can take action in their own homes, classrooms, or communities to help build healthy soil. This workshop emphasizes how everything on planet Earth is connected, from worms and plants to CO2 and sunshine. Roll up your sleeves and get ready to dig into the magical, muddy world of life within the soil!
Note: We are excited to supply a limited number of classes with Community Clean-up Kits as part of this workshop! These kits are available on a first come, first served basis and will provide you with the knowledge and all the supplies you need to plan and complete a community clean-up, as well as resources to further your learners’ experience, suggestions for taking your learners outside and more!
Format: In-person.
Time requirements: One to two hours.
Location requirements: Flexible (classroom, gymnasium, outdoors, etc.).
Language: This program is currently delivered in English.
Curriculum connections:
Grade: P-3: Interconnectiveness, appreciation and empathy for living things, soil as an environment, caring for the environment, cooperation, investigating sustainability and sustainable action.
Grade 4-6: Abiotic and biotic components of ecosystems, habitats, what plants need to grow, weathering, erosion, and soil formation.
Grade 7-8: Interconnectiveness of ecosystems, the greenhouse effect, climate change mitigation and adaptation, leading a community action project.
Grade 9-12: Sustainable agriculture and soil ecology, climate change mitigation and adaptation, carbon sequestration, global citizenship, green careers.
Fashion for the Future
Designed for: Grades 4-12 (content and activities adapted for student grade level)
Status: Full for the 2024-2025 school year
What are the environmental and social impacts of the ‘fast fashion’ industry? What other options exist for local and sustainable clothing options? How can we create our own beautiful, unique items while protecting the planet? In this fun, hands-on workshop, students will get crafty and learn simple ways to ‘upcycle’ old, unwanted textiles into useful new items. We’ll explore how ‘fast fashion’ affects us all and discover some great alternatives, including local projects happening right here in Nova Scotia! Students will leave this workshop feeling empowered to take action in age-appropriate ways to support sustainable clothing choices.
Students will be asked to bring in their own unwanted clothing items in advance of the workshop, which will be used for the action project. Our educators will offer upcycling activity options for different ages and skill levels, including a quick and easy no-sew option, as well as a more challenging hand-sewing project for students who want to expand their skillset.
Format: In-person.
Time requirements: One to two hours.
Location requirements: Flexible (classroom, gymnasium, outdoors, etc.).
Language: This program is currently delivered in English.
Curriculum connections:
Grade 4-6: Sustainability practices, basic human rights issues, age-appropriate actions, textile crafts.
Grade 7-8: Interconnectiveness and sustainability, textile production and clothing choices, human impacts on climate change, climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Grade 9-12: Sustainability and resource management, textile production and global supply chains, climate change mitigation and adaptation, global citizenship, green careers.
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