Workshops to help youth navigate complex emotions are taking place in wildfire-ravaged areas in the B.C. Interior.

Be the Change Earth Alliance has announced new CARE (Climate, Action, Resilience and Emotions) programs with accompanying workshops aimed at B.C. students, teachers, and communities affected by wildfires.

The Vancouver-based organization is working in collaboration with UBC鈥檚 Climate Hub to offer the series of workshops, focusing on navigating difficult emotions induced by climate change and fostering resilience and action, reads a media release.

Three school districts, #73 Kamloops-Thompson, #74 Gold Trail and #83 North Okanagan Shuswap, will have the program on offer, specifically in areas deeply affected by fire in Kamloops, Lillooet and Salmon Arm.

As families have had to uproot their lives and find new homes during turmoil, additional struggles such as taking care of dependents, dealing with financial strain and overcoming physical and mental health issues have all compounded the stress of climate-induced disasters, reads the release.

鈥淎 2023 Galway and Field study found that 78 per cent of Canadian youth report that climate change impacts their overall mental health,鈥� said Be the Change. The goal is to turn collective climate grief into hopeful climate action.

The workshops, which include open discussions about feelings and personal experiences, help participants understand the complexity of climate change and its connection to social justice issues. Tools are shared for dealing with emotions and workshops are designed for grades four to seven and eight to 12 age ranges, as well as those aimed at teachers, community members and parents to foster the same discussions outside the classroom.

Workshops have been held in libraries, community centers and in Indigenous communities, said the organization.

鈥淲e need to have these discussion with one another, and especially youth, so that we all have tools to effectively deal with the emotional impacts of the climate crisis,鈥� said Dayna Margetts, CARE project manager.

A 14-year-old participant shared, 鈥淏efore today, I hadn鈥檛 realized how my feelings when it鈥檚 smoky or we have a flood in town are connected to climate change.鈥�

To book a workshop, visit .

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