elissasmith.ca

Elissa is currently living in Ottawa where she spends far too much time day dreaming about camping and skiing instead of working! For the past few years Elissa has been actively seeking to strengthen the youth environmental movement and increase youth participation in decision-making.

Currently, she is the Development and Communications Coordinator at DreamNow- a youth led organization that teaches youth to take action.

She is the president of the Canadian Youth Environmental Network, they represent over 300 environmental youth organizations in Canada. She is a member of the executive committee of the Sierra Youth Coalition- Canada’s largest youth environmental NGO. She is a member of the Canadian Youth Round Table on the Environment, a small group of youth that provide input on Environment Canada’s departmental programs and policies, advising on how to make these programs more accessible and relevant to youth, and bringing forward youth priority issues.

Elissa has volunteered with international organizations such as Rising Tide, World Carfree Network, People and Planet, and the European Youth For Action. Additionally, Elissa is the representative for North America on the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Youth Advisory Council. Elissa was the youngest ever government delegate to the 7th session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Program in Kenya and the 13th session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in New York.

Elissa has spoken at many events including the UNEP International Youth Conference, the UNEP Global Youth Retreat, and the UNESCO World Youth Parliament on Water.

She is studying Global Resource Systems at the University of British Colombia. She is a recipient of the National Millennium Excellent Award for Community Service. She runs a business teaching youth to win scholarships- www.scholarshiptraining.ca. She has been a researcher for the Underground Research Laboratory of Canada, the National Research Council of Canada, and Natural Resources Canada, and was the valedictorian of the National Science Academy of Canada in 2001.

Elissa tends to analyze all environmental issues from a social justice perspective. Climate change, sustainable consumption & production, and grassroots environmental education & action are her main areas of interest. But lately she has been focusing her interests on environmental economics, policy and international development.

Elissa has cycled across 8 European countries and traveled to Africa and Asia.

Elissa is a 19 year old female homo sapien. She refers to herself as a tree hugging pragmatic idealist. When she is not busy being a 2nd year environmental science student at the University of Guelph you can find her camping, traveling, socializing, yoga, skiing, cycling or swimming.

Elissa’s purpose at this chapter in her life is to support the youth environmental movement, and encourage youth participation in decision making. On a local level Elissa is involved in Guelph Students for Environmental Change, the Guelph Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, and she is on the board of directors of OPIRG-Guelph. She has worked with the Ministry of Natural Resources. Nationally, Elissa is on the board of directors of the Youth Environmental Network (YEN) of Canada. She is also the leader of the YEN policy working group. She has been involved with UNESCO-Canada youth and the Green party of Ontario. Elissa has volunteered with international organizations such as Rising Tide, World Carfree Network, People and Planet, and the European Youth For Action. Elissa has represented the Sierra Youth Coalition twice at the UN commission for sustainable development, in NY. Elissa is also a member of the Canadian Environment Ministers Youth Advisory Council- the Youth Round Table on the Environment.

Elissa tends to analyze all environmental issues from a social justice perspective. Climate change, sustainable consumption/production, and grassroots environmental education/action are her main areas of interest. But lately she has been focusing on her interests on environmental economics, policy and international development.