On Monday 5th of June, the student leaders attended the Y-Lead Youth Climate Conference, where they learnt about climate change and how it can impact the earth and our lives. The conference was held at the U-Tas campus. When we got there, by bus There were other schools there as well as only Emmanuel student leaders.
When the leaders got to the university, we entered through the 2 front glass doors. Most of our leaders made leaf badges with their names on them then they attached them to their tops, because they didn’t wear their own badges given to them, next Mr Roberts directed us to the auditorium, where other school leaders and the speakers for the day were. Once we finished a quick small game (would you rather) we were all seated down on the chairs inside, then we took out something to write on and a pen to use for writing down key bits or ideas that schools could use to help the environment.

We first heard from a speaker named Heather and Aisha, introducing themselves and to the other speakers. Then two other people came along, a father and his son and their relatives are aboriginal/Torres Strait islanders and they showed us two different dances, one to honor their ancestors and the second one to acknowledge the people of this country. Next Heather explained that they were called IPCC (Intergovernmental, Panel, Of, Climate, Change), and what they do at the university also what different jobs and studies they all went through. Also, who what we will be doing throughout the whole entire day, and what events will be happening and what groups people will be in for the day.

Heather then invited a person named Toby to the middle of the stage, and then Heather told us a little story, when they were at Egypt and how Toby drove on the wrong side of the road in Egypt, also how he was pulled over by the Egyptian police, he told us what he did, who he was, where he went in his life, and why he did it. He told us that he role was a Keynote, then he told us and showed us some slides, such as he showed us a slide that had a video on it, that showed us some students that were at a protest playing their instruments on a high platform singing about protesting, and that he made a bottle and bamboo shed when he was in school, also how he travelled to India and won a trophy because he helped people protest, and help them to officially ban plastic bags from their country. Toby also told us that he became one of the youngest deputy mayor of Huon Ville. Toby was 18 when he took the role, and what their first Youth Climate Conference looked like when they first started.
Next, Toby told us that when he thinks of climate change the first thing that comes to his head is humans, and that empathy is fundamental to all social changes, also that collaboration is key (internationally), and he said to us to try and remember that the people who were apart of your journey are special because they are the ones that believed in you the whole way through.

Heather then asked this young girl named Amelie who was the university scientist, she then started to talk about greenhouse gases and that Australia is rapidly deep in greenhouse gases, also that Australia is one of the highest carbon and greenhouse gases country in the world. Next Amelie talked about how the world is going over 1 degree each year, and also the limit warming is supposed to be either 1.2 or well below 2 degrees Celsius. Then she went on about how we will be 5 degrees more/less at the end of the century, and they need our help to achieve the climate change by 2 degrees, also how it is still achievable and important for the earth and the environment.

After that we broke off to have our recess for a few minutes then everyone headed back into the auditorium, when we headed in and there was music and people started dancing, most of the other schools danced a lot even Annie and Ben started dancing in the middle with other kids. When everyone settled down we broke off to our individual groups to talk about what the group is about with the leaders that are a part of that group, in each group people discussed different things.

After that, it was lunchtime and everyone had about a 40 minute break. Once again most people entered the auditorium and there was music playing and people dancing again. Then we got to ask some questions to three of the young leaders, Charlotte, Aisha and Amelie; they only got to answer three. Heather then told us to break up into our school groups so that we could talk to discuss on what the project is for each of our own schools, each group was given $200 to support them in starting the project we were told that we have 4 months to make/create the project, and then we had to choose 2 people who would present the idea in front of the other leaders in other school groups and they presented their ideas too. Kaitelyn and Joel explained our school idea/project, after like 10 groups explained their ideas too.

After listening to all the brilliant ideas, the Youth Climate Conference finished and all the leaders broke off, and our school leaders hopped onto the mini Emmanuel bus and headed/drove back to school.