VANCOUVER — Alysia Garmulewicz aims to change the future of environmental action through the upcoming World Changing Careers symposium, taking place July 23rd-27th 2009 at the University of British Columbia. The World Changing Careers symposium is inviting 250 of the brightest young minds to design careers for a sustainable future.

Garmulewicz, director of World Changing Careers, is the new BC Rhodes Scholar for which the Honourable Brian Mulroney wrote a reference after being a finalist at Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister contest. She organized her first national conference on climate change in 2005 at age 17 after an inspiring trip to Antarctica, attracting Elizabeth May and Severn Cullis-Suzuki.

“Over the next 10 years, 500 million young people will seek jobs that have the potential to redesign our political and economic systems. Now is the time to invest in new ideas and innovation. As Barack Obama says, ‘green jobs are the jobs of the future’”, Garmulewicz states. Everyone is welcome to register his or her attendance for the 2009 symposium now.

Inuit leader and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Sheila Watt-Cloutier and the celebrated singer-songwriter Raffi Cavoukian are Honourary Chairs of the symposium, and internationally acclaimed sustainability leaders and cleantech CEOs, are featured presenters.

World Changing Careers is organized by Changing Climates Educational Society, with the support and partnership of the Government of Canada, Vancity Credit Union, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, Talisman Energy, the GLOBE Foundation, and the University of British Columbia.