Two northwest B.C. organizations receive BC Hydro grant funding

Two northwest organizations are receiving a combined $10,000 from BC Hydro’s Community Grant program to enhance youth education in the Terrace area.

The program allocates funds to community projects that focus on ‘smart energy ideas,’ safety education and building the workforce of tomorrow.

BC Hydro’s grant program is split into two grants. SkeenaWild Conservation Trust was given $8,000 from the Broad Impact Grant, while the Upper Skeena Community Learning Society received $2,000 from the Grassroots Grant.

Skeena Wild will use funding to expand their current education program which includes classroom workshops and resources for kindergarten to grade 12 students. The program educates students on protecting and conserving salmon populations and the Skeena Watershed.

“We are growing our education initiative, it’s been really well received in our communities and we are excited to have increased local support to be able to carry our initiatives forward,” said Julia Sorochan, SkeenaWild operations manager.

“Just providing interactive classroom workshops and educational resources for K to twelve students and so that can be either packages that are delivered directly to teachers or we would come in and deliver the workshops directly in the classroom with a real focus on science and salmon with fun and educational hands on experience.”

SkeenaWild will evaluate how it can safely deliver its programming in the school system after students return in Sept.

The Upper Skeena Community Learning Society’s grant funding will go towards their Youth Works program, focused on professional cooking. The program gives young people the opportunity to work and train in several different culinary environments like industry camps, bakeries, hospitals and schools.

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