The Resilience by Design (RbD) Lab engages in research and climate change capacity-building projects with the goal of seeding and fostering innovation and systems change for a just and resilient future. Our research projects all seed and foster innovation and systems change. We involve youth, working professionals, educators, and communities through:
(A) creative action and participatory research; and (B) education and training initiatives.
Here are some of our current and completed projects:
Workforce development Working professionals Youth
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Imagining Canada’s Future
Imagining Canada’s Future aimed to identify knowledge about the ways in which energy production and consumption may affect children and youth, and recommendations for future research and action. Vision This project—Imagining Canada’s Future: A knowledge synthesis of research on children, youth & energy systems—examined existing social science literature related to the biological, psychological and social…
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Youth Designing Climate Resilience
The Youth Designing Climate Resilience project (YDCR) seeks to involve youth in design thinking to address climate change in their communities and understand how this kind of involvement can empower youth and those around them. YDCR works with youth, educators and communities across British Columbia and Puerto Rico. Vision This project aims to create a…
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Alberta Resilient Communities
Alberta Resilient Communities (ARC) arose after the extensive 2013 flooding disaster in southern Alberta. The aftermath resulted in five years of youth-focused and youth-centric research conducted by the Resilience by Design (RbD) Lab, in partnership with the Alberta Resilient Communities Research Project. The RbD research teams, together with flood-affected communities in southern Alberta, focussed on…
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Pearson Collaboration
The Resilience By Design Lab (RbD) and Royal Roads Professional and Continuing Studies are joining with Pearson College UWC to offer two undergraduate courses to their students enrolled in the new Climate Action Leadership Diploma. The first of these courses provides a foundation in climate science, impacts and risks; the second bookends the program and supports students…
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Youth Voices Rising
Droughts have become commonplace and are intensifying as a result of global warming. In 2016, a massive wildfire swept through northern Alberta and severely damaged communities in the Wood Buffalo region and the City of Fort McMurray. The Youth Voices Rising (YVR) initiative joined with community partners to support youth engagement and decision-making during the…
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Gen Z & Climate Change
The Resilience by Design (RbD) lab recognizes the amazing potential of youth to be climate action leaders in their local communities. The Generation Z (Gen Z) and Climate Change project wanted to explore and contribute to the empowerment of young people by hearing what helps or hinders their participation in transformative climate actions. The Resilience…
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Youth Creating Disaster Recovery And Resilience
Youth Creating Disaster Recovery & Resilience (YCDR) was a research project focused on youth recovering from climate change-related disasters. YCDR engaged with youth in a number of disaster-affected communities in Canada and the United States to explore personal experiences and to incorporate their ideas to improve disaster recovery response. Vision Youth Creating Disaster Recovery &…
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NRCan Virtual Hub
In 2021, Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Division (CCIAD) contracted the Resilience by Design Lab, along with partners Climate Risk Institute, ICLEI Canada, and Solvable Systems Inc. to explore options for a future Climate Change Adaptation virtual webspace that might better meet the adaptation capacity-building needs of the federal government, climate…