The Kapiti Future Leaders (KFLs), a group of youth from around Kapiti who are passionate about making a difference in
our community, are launching a billboard campaign, Change the Tide, to empower our community to take action on the
climate crisis.
This year, the Kāpiti Future Leaders group have undertaken 10 skill-building workshops and hosted an Ideas for Change
event for local youth. This event included 3 panels of community, local government and business leaders discussing the
major issues of our facing the Kāpiti Coast and working with youth to develop ideas for change.
“As youth we look ahead and recognize the severity and ramifications of climate change, in the long-term and in our
present lives. We are passionate about making a difference to support our community and make our future a better place”
says Joseph Simpson, a Future Leader.
“But really, this isn’t about us. It’s about you: every person who is passionate about their community, every individual
who cares. You can make a difference; every action you take counts; every skill you have is valuable. Our campaign is
about changing the tide and empowering people like you, to make a difference in everything you do.” says Joseph.
The issue weighing heavily on the minds of youth in Kāpiti at the moment is climate change. The climate crisis is
incomprehensibly huge and it can be hard to understand the effects that this will have locally but also to understand
our place in the solution and to futhermore feel empowered to step into that role.
Because of this, the KFLs came up with the idea of a billboard campaign which would highlight the effects climate change
is having and will continue to have on the Kapiti Coast, while also providing practical tips for reducing local and
collective emissions profiles. These billboards would be situated around Kapiti and near busy hub spaces to ensure that
the issue of climate change is at the forefront of people's minds when going about their daily routine, particularly
amidst the season of local elections. They are designing these billboards to have a visual element and to catch the
attention of those driving past, while also ensuring they can read the content of the billboard. For this reason, the
KFLs have also created a website (https://changethetide.org.nz/). This would be specific to Kāpiti at this point and would create a forum for those wanting to become more engaged in
various environmental community groups to do so.