A GREAT Success!!
New Innovative Camps Bring Climate Change Message to Young Girls
With assistance of $100,400 from the Newfoundland and Labrador Green Fund, the Women in Resource Development Corporation (WRDC) will help bring the climate change message to Grade 7 females throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. Through the Girls in Renewable Energy and Alternative Technologies (GREAT) program, which will consist of a series of science exploration camps, young girls will be encouraged to think about the energy future and climate impacts of energy consumption patterns in the province.
“This organization continuously provides leadership by encouraging the participation of women in the trades and technology sectors,” said the Honourable Charlene Johnson, Minister of Environment and Conservation. “Their objectives are further complemented by teaching young girls to think about how their actions in these sectors can affect the environment. These camps may also introduce them to career opportunities and motivate them to work in this field in the future.”
WRDC was established in 1997 to foster an environment that will increase the participation of women in the trades and technology sectors in Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2002, the Educational Resource Centre (ERC), the charitable branch of WRDC, was created to offer non-traditional training programs to young girls and women.
For the GREAT program, WRDC-ERC will partner with corporations in the energy field, the education system and various government departments to deliver the camps to rural and urban areas of the province. Locations will be selected based upon the interest expressed by schools, and the time of year for the camps will be selected based on school schedules so as to ensure the time away from the traditional classroom has a minimal impact.
“This is an exciting time for women in the trades and technology sector given the impact we can have on sustaining our environment,” said the Honourable Kathy Dunderdale, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women. “I am pleased to see Women in Resource Development Corporation continuing to remove barriers for women and engaging young girls in important issues such as climate change. Through this work, we are ensuring that our environmental efforts will be strengthened as a result of equal participation of both women and men.”
“I look forward to encouraging these girls to make a difference to the environment through careers in renewable energy,” said Mary Clarke, Community Outreach Coordinator, WRDC. “This program will introduce them to careers in engineering, design and trades, as well as teach them to think about our future energy usage and impacts on our climate.”
Funding for the project comes from the Newfoundland and Labrador Green Fund, a three-year, $25 million program which is supported by both the federal and provincial governments. This funding is to support projects geared toward environmental sustainability and which provide real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2009/env/1123n08.htm
Media contacts:
Melony O'Neill
Department of Environment and Conservation
(709) 729-2575/ (709) 689-0928
moneill@gov.nl.ca
Erin Molloy
Communications Specialist Women's Policy Office
(709) 729-6225/ (709) 693-7938
erinmolloy@gov.nl.ca
WRDC-ERC contact:
Mary Clarke
Community Outreach Coordinator
WRDC - ERC
(709) 738-1138/ (709) 687-1160
mclarke@wrdc.nf.ca
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