THE 2017 OPOP VANCOUVER CONFERENCE
On March 4, 2017, the first ever Our Poles Our Planet Vancouver Conference took place as part of a series of conferences in four cities across Canada. The event aimed to educate youth about various polar topics by bringing in guest lecturers, workshop leaders, and mentors who will spoke about their personal work or experiences in the poles. It was an amazing opportunity for curious, driven students from all across Greater Vancouver to delve head-first into a wide range of issues concerning the Arctic and Antarctic. Check out the details below!
DetailsDate: March 4, 2017
Time: 9AM - 3PM Cost: Free for youth (high-school and undergraduate students) Food will be provided to attendees. No prior experience is required to participate in the OPOPV Conference, just the motivation and willingness to learn! |
The VenueThe Dutch Urban Design Centre
(1445 W. Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2T3) In partnership with the City Hub Initiative The Dutch Urban Design Centre (DUDOC) is a beautiful platform in downtown Vancouver for Dutch companies to promote business cases for sustainable development. Through co-working space partnerships with local organizations, they foster discussions and community around sustainability, urban development, green building & technology, architecture, socio-economic development and more!
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Our Speakers
ERIC SOLOMON
Eric Solomon is the Director of Arctic Programs at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre (VAMSC). Dedicating much of his career toward improving the communication of complex science and environmental issues to public audiences, Mr. Solomon focuses on creating greater public awareness of and engagement on the important issues facing Canada’s Arctic. He is the lead for Ikaarvik: Barriers to Bridges, a program that works with Inuit youth to be the bridge between scientific research and Arctic communities, and a Laureate of the Arctic Inspiration Prize. He is an expert on integrated approaches to building and communicating scientific and locally-derived knowledge about the Arctic and Arctic issues. Mr. Solomon holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Marine Ecology, and advanced graduate studies in Science Education. |
SARAH GUTZMANN
Sarah Gutzmann is a fourth year Environmental Science (Applied Biology) and Environmental Toxicology student at Simon Fraser University. She is an active educational program volunteer at the Vancouver Aquarium, and has participated in an international student summit on oceans and coasts. By working for Parks Canada this summer, she was able to connect Vancouver with the Arctic through educational programming and outreach (and had the incredible opportunity to experience the Arctic for herself!) |
KIM MATHIEU
Kim Mathieu works at Parks Canada in the sector of Northern outreach and engagement. In her position with the National Parks, she creates educational programs about the Canadian Arctic and teaches youth about climate change and its impact on the Arctic parks and on people living in the Arctic. She specializes in Environmental Health at McGill University and was a Youth Ambassador for World Vision where she travelled to Rwanda to take part in global youth development strategy workshops. |
MAYA BURHANPURKAR
Maya Burhanpurkar is a seventeen year old student who will begin undergraduate studies at Harvard in 2017. Maya has traveled to the Arctic to produce an open source documentary about climate change featuring many notable guests. She has twice won the Grand Platinum prize at Canada’s national science fair, represented Canada at the Intel International Science Fair, and taken honours at the Google International Science Fair. She was also named one of Canada’s “Top 20 Under 20”, the national Brescia Emerging Female Leader of the Year, and was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee medal. |
Why should you join us?
Come for the PeopleEngage in meaningful discussion with renowned experts and network with other likeminded youth!
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Come for the LearningExamine the intricacies of the issues concerning the poles and what you can do to solve them!
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Come for the Fun!Enjoy the event in an intimate setting with speakers, workshops, films and more!
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Meet Our Team
All of Our Poles Our Planet Vancouver's team members are youth, fulfilling our philosophy that supporting young leaders
to engage their peers is the most effective way to enact change.
to engage their peers is the most effective way to enact change.
Denise LeeOPOP Co-Founder and Vancouver Chair
Contact: vancouver.ourpolesourplanet
@gmail.com |
Minh TruongCommunications Coordinator
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Gillian ShawSponsorship Coordinator
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Nicole MaLogistics Coordinator
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Contact Us
Email us with any questions at ourpolesourplanet@gmail.com