CityHive’s Knowledge-to-Action Framework is rooted in community-based learning, relationship building, and partner-supported action planning. This framework builds a learning arc that enables youth to come to the program with any level of understanding or knowledge about civics, climate change, and public space to then develop bold actions to address local challenges.

What You’ll Do

Through this program, you will:

Learn how local government operates, including jurisdiction and decision-making, to understand the levers for change when taking climate action. Participants will explore the climate crisis’ impact on workplaces and collaborate on tangible solutions to reduce emissions. Some themes we will be exploring seek to answer questions such as:

• How do local governments make decisions and tackle our cities’ pressing climate issues?
• What is my key role in influencing local climate action and how can we engage with local decision-makers to enact change?
• What is climate justice and why is it important to address within the workforce?
• What are the barriers to creating and sustaining green jobs in different sectors?
• How can sectors embed climate values and shift towards sustainable practices and reduce emissions?

Investigate and Ideate solutions to spark change within the workplace. Through design-thinking, participants will investigate the challenges that their employers face and opportunities to embed climate values. Participants will explore the questions:

• What is intrapreneurship and how can I leverage my strengths to implement change within my workplace?
• How do I develop an actionable plan to bring to my employer?
• What are the tools for effective communication and engagement on climate change?

Apply and Take Action with your employer. For the duration of five months, participants will collaborate with their employer to implement action. Participants will convene once a month as they execute their plans, providing a peer network of support, as well as access to mentors and thought partners. Participants should spend 2-5 hours working on project-related tasks outside of the program sessions. Participants will leave answering the following questions:

• How do I measure my project’s success?
• What can I do when I’m faced with pushback and resistance?

Present your project progress and learn about other participants’ workplace climate initiatives at a Community Showcase & Networking Event. At this event, we will celebrate you with our community!