Erin Work
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Central Okanagan Public Schools
November 29, 2023 - 12:30 PM
A Kelowna student will be one of two Canadian high school delegates at the United Nations’ COP28 Student Leadership Summit.
Erin Work, a Grade 12 student of Indigenous descent at École Okanagan Mission Secondary School, was selected to attend the COP28 Student Leadership Summit in the UAE, according to a school district media release.
Work will be accredited by the UNFCCC allowing her special access to the Blue Zone of the COP28 which is where the negotiations and agreements of the conference happen.
Her dedication to social justice and community service leadership made her the perfect delegate.
"I've always been empowered by my teachers and family to understand that one person can create the change they want to see," Work said in the release. "Whether it's volunteering for a project or adding the voice of youth to the global climate conversation, our personal stories and perspectives can drive positive action."
Her participation in the Waves of Change Youth Climate Summit, where she told her personal story on climate change and developed leadership skills, prepared her for this student summit.
Work has also participated in a myriad of community projects. She volunteers at the school’s Rotary program, she volunteered in Guatemala with Indigenous youth, she is co-president of her school’s student council and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
"Erin exemplifies the wonder about our natural world and engagement as a global citizen that we seek to inspire in each student," school superintendent Kevin Kaardal said in the release. "This summit is an opportunity for global leaders to hear student voices like Erin's articulating solutions to the most pressing problems our world faces."
This opportunity Work has been granted as a result of collaboration between the College Board of Canada, the Centre for Global Education, and Central Okanagan Public Schools staff to increase advanced placement course offerings that promote student engagement in a multitude of topics including Earth science and sustainability.
The Student Leadership Summit will take place in Dubai parallel to the UN COP28 climate change conference that runs from Dec. 3 to Dec. 11.
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