Millennium Kids

Millennium Kids is an international youth empowerment environmental organization based in Western Australia with affiliates in Canada, South Africa and other countries.[1]

Millennium Kids International Logo

History

Millennium Kids was founded by four twelve-year-olds in 1996.[2]

A small group of Western Australian students attended the United Nations ‘Leave It To Us’ environmental conference for children in the United Kingdom (UK). Upon their return, they were disappointed with the level of youth involvement in local environment issues and decided to develop their own environmental conference, "Kids Helping Kids", with support of Perth Zoo, Department of Environment, Clean Up Australia, CALM and the City of South Perth. Following this, they founded Millennium Kids.[3]

In 2000, they presented a series of "environmental challenges" to Environment Minister Cheryl Edwardes, who tabled them at Parliament.[4]

In 2012, the Western Australia Headquarters was based in the Old Fremantle Prison.[1] The group works with schools to arrange environmental and sustainability education, connecting pupils and teachers with local community groups.[5]

In 2014, the group organised projects to clean up the Swan River.[6]

Organisation

Millennium Kids is a registered charity with affiliates in Canada and South Africa, and has collaborative links in Indonesia, China[1] and Malaysia. The organization is run by children aged 10-25 years old and is supported by educators, mentors, and sponsors. In 2014 the president was Rachael Cochrain.[7]

Millennium Kids is directed by a Youth Board, with fifteen members aged between 10 and 25 years. It is supported by the United Nations Environment Program Agenda 21, Chapter 25 Declaration which states that "national governments should pay more attention to the opinions and concerns of children regarding the environment’ and how it should be managed for future generations".

Canada

In Canada, as a not-for-profit organisation, Millennium Kids facilitates many environmental activities across Ontario (from Ottawa, Toronto, to Kitchener-Waterloo). A youth board is present in Ottawa and Kitchener-Waterloo, as well as a chapter starting up in 2006 through the school system in Toronto, Ontario. The youth board decides on what initiatives will be taken upon the year. Among the activities, the Car Free Festival are planned as initiatives in cooperation with other environmental/youth empowerment organisations that reside in the respective area of the initiative.

References
  1. Blanch, Desley (February 20, 2012). "Young Innovators - Millennium Kids". Radio Australia. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  2. Morrell, Niki (April 2008). "Millennium Kids: saving the planet". ABC Western Australia blog. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  3. Dianne, Bates (2009). Aussie Kid Heroes. ReadHowYouWant.com. p. 110. ISBN 9781458748577. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  4. "Millennium Kids issue environment challenges". Government of Western Australia. March 12, 2000. Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  5. Salter, Zarin; Venville, Grady; Longnecker, Nancy (2011). "An Australian Story: School Sustainability Education in the Lucky Country". Australian Journal of Environmental Education. 27 (1): 149–159. doi:10.1017/S0814062600000148. S2CID 108695736.
  6. Robertson, Katie (July 7, 2014). "Community spirit: Millenium Kids highlight issues in the Swan River". PerthNow. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  7. Wahlquist, Calla; Offer, Kaitlyn (May 22, 2014). "International students, adults injured in horror bus crash in Perth Hills". Perthnow. Retrieved May 17, 2016.


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