Equipping emotionally resilient climate leaders

Written By Peter Allan

McKenna Corvello helps youth become resilient in the face of climate change. The 23-year-old Carleton University master’s student works for Mochi4thePlanet, researching strategies for cultivating hope in young people.

 

By Patricia Lane & McKenna Corvello

These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity.

McKenna Corvello helps youth become resilient in the face of climate change. This 23-year-old Carleton University master’s student works for Mochi4thePlanet, researching strategies for cultivating hope in young people and applying that evidence in toolkits, books, social media content and, eventually, a video game.

Tell us about your project.

Our goal is to equip the next generation to be emotionally resilient climate leaders. We have published research on emotions that predict climate action, and we research coping strategies for climate anxiety that promote engagement and mental health. Our tools and resources for children, their parents, and educators allow them to take advantage of the research findings.

Climate change is complex and so are emotions. Media coverage is at best confusing. Our social media campaign #mochi4theplanet combines evidence and the power of story to equip children and youth with purpose, agency, and responsibility to care for the planet.

Our children’s book Kibou's Light is available for free to download or on Amazon. It tells the story of the planet Kibou where “Mochis,” cute bubble-shaped creatures with expressive eyes, live. When climate change threatens the Mochis’ blissful existence on Kibou, we follow their journey from avoidance and denial to learning mindfulness and empathy, and taking collective action, such as cleaning their oceans, planting trees and recycling to protect their home. The book reflects our research that avoidance and denial harbour negative emotions, but awareness of the potential impact of collective action builds resilience.

READ MORE

 
Peter Allan
Previous

How a Vancouver advocate tells the story of climate change
Next

Student climate striker still inspiring change