“This is such an important issue and no one cares!”
That’s what my teenage daughter said to me, through tears, as she listened to CBC coverage of our Hot Schools, Cool Solutions Nova Scotia campaign launch. This new For Our Kids campaign aims to address extreme heat in schools, which is increasingly threatening the health and wellbeing of students in Nova Scotia and across Canada.
Students like my daughter.
She and I talk often about the complexities of navigating her dreams for the future and all of the unknowns of the climate emergency at the same time.
This day, though, we sat in silence and cried.
We are living in sad, infuriating and sometimes very hopeless times. Instead of envisioning and enacting policies that would have a vibrant future for our kids in mind, we see all levels of government doubling down on extraction and destruction. As a parent, I often feel frustrated, angry and overwhelmed.
But when my daughter hugged me that day, it wasn’t only for comfort.
“Thanks mom, for working on this,” she said as we pulled apart.
Our kids look to us for guidance and reassurance. They want to know they aren’t being handed a load that they alone are responsible for carrying.
That’s why we’re working together at For Our Kids. None of us can fix the climate crisis on our own. But by mobilizing parents, caregivers, and families to take action, we can leverage our collective power to make real change.
Our network contains multitudes – parents, caregivers, and communities tackling the climate crisis from a million different angles. We’re taking local, regional, and national action. We’re focused on everything from extreme heat in schools and methane emissions to land-based education and community-level emergency preparedness.
With every action we take, we are sending a collective message to our children – that they are not alone, that we love them, and that we truly would do anything for our kids.
And we’re stronger with you! Now is a great time to get involved in (or launch!) your local For Our Kids team.
Find a team near you
Jackie McVicar is For Our Kids' Atlantic Organizer. For updates on Hot Schools, Cool Solutions, visit the campaign page or follow the campaign accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
