Educating and mobilizing seniors on climate change: An intergenerational intervention to foster engagement in environmental volunteering

To better support the participation of seniors in Quebec and France in environmental and climate volunteering while combating ageism at a time when global warming is unavoidable, it is important to translate the Retirees in Service to the Environment (RISE) program into French and adapt it to an intergenerational context.

Project details
Scientific program
2020-2025 programming
Theme(s) and priority(s)
Social and Health Challenges - Adaptation of Living Environments
Start and duration
September 2024 • August 2027
Project Status
Starting
 
Principal(s) investigator(s)
Mélanie Levasseur
Université de Sherbrooke

Context

Population ageing and climate change are two major public health challenges, particularly in Quebec and in France, where average annual temperatures are rising faster than anywhere else in the world. Seniors are often more vulnerable to the consequences of climate change and should be involved in solutions to environmental challenges. However, due to a lack of knowledge about climate change and the absence of structured activities in this field, they are less inclined to participate.

 

Objective(s)

  • To better understand the feasibility of implementing the Retirees in Service to the Environment (RISE) program, adapted to an intergenerational context in Quebec and France

  • To document the translation of the new version of RISE and the inclusion of climate change in it

  • To evaluate the impact of RISE on seniors’ environmental attitudes, eco-anxiety, social participation and engagement

  • To assess the impact of RISE on young people’s eco-anxiety

  • To evaluate the impact of RISE on the effect of an intergenerational intervention promoting cooperation

  • To identify success factors for and obstacles to environmental volunteering by seniors in Quebec and France

Methodology

Phase 1: Cross-cultural validation by cross-disciplinary experts

  • Adapt the RISE program implementation manual to an intergenerational and francophone context

  • Add a component on adaptation to climate change

Phase 2: Mixed specifications

  • Introductory workshop (leadership and communication) and six workshops on the environment, climate change and adaptation for seniors and young people

  • Workshop for community participants to plan an environmental and climate volunteer stewardship project 

  • Questionnaires assessing environmental volunteering on mitigating and adapting to climate change, eco-anxiety, environmental attitudes, social participation and health

  • Measures of the perception of ageism

  • Three-stage program evaluation to understand the success factors for and obstacles to environmental and climate volunteering

Expected results

  • Development of a turnkey program in French to encourage environmental volunteering

  • Creation and implementation of test projects

  • Climate change education and awareness-raising

  • A better understanding of the success factors for and obstacles to environmental and climate volunteering

  • An anti-ageism effort

  • Project report, scientific articles, public education events

  • Training of highly qualified personnel

Funding

Other participants

  • Cornell University

  • Ville de Sherbrooke

  • Maison des Grands-Parents de Sherbrooke

  • Intergénération Québec

  • CIUSSS de l'Estrie (CHUS)

  • Conseil régional de l'environnement de l'Estrie

  • Action Saint-François

  • Ville d'Annecy

  • Harmonie Mutuelle Pays de Savoie

  • Grand-Annecy

  • Cran-Gevrier Animation

Related projects

 

713800

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