Break The Divide

Program & Host Organization

Break The Divide is delivered by the Break The Divide Foundation, a not-for-profit organization in Canada. The program connects young people across communities to build dialogue, resilience, and climate awareness, with a focus on peer learning and shared leadership.

Location & Scope

The initiative operates in British Columbia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan, with activities held in school classrooms and through online sessions. Its hybrid delivery model allows participation from multiple regions, reaching youth across diverse school settings.

Who It Serves

The program serves youth under 18, primarily high school students. It supports young people who are exploring climate issues, emotional wellbeing, and community action, and engages them in structured conversations about climate impacts and solutions.

Climate & Mental Health Focus

Break The Divide addresses eco-anxiety, climate stress, and the emotional challenges faced by young people as they confront climate change. The program encourages dialogue on climate justice, community support, and pathways for local action, acknowledging the pressures youth experience in the current environmental and social context.

Activities & Format

Activities occur bi-weekly during the school year in fixed cohorts. Each session lasts about one hour and combines group dialogue, reflective exercises, guest speakers, creative activities, education on local climate solutions, and mindfulness practices. Hybrid delivery enables both in-person classroom sessions and online engagements.

Inclusion & Accessibility

Details not provided.

Outcomes & Evidence

The initiative aims to build emotional resilience, strengthen climate literacy, and empower youth to participate in community-based climate action. Short-term outcomes include increased confidence and improved understanding of climate issues. Medium-term outcomes include deeper engagement in school and community initiatives, while long-term goals focus on sustained youth leadership and community resilience. Details on evaluation processes were not provided.

Guiding Principles

The program aligns with principles of climate literacy, emotional processing, optimism, social connection, nature bonding, emotional resilience, climate justice, trauma-informed practice, community-led adaptation, and collective responsibility. These principles are reflected through structured dialogue, peer learning, exploration of climate emotions, and opportunities for youth-driven action.

Resources & Sustainability

Details not provided.

Team & Partners

Activities are co-facilitated by multiple team members from the Break The Divide Foundation. Specific roles, training backgrounds, or partner organizations were not provided.

Challenges & Context

Details not provided.