Connecting Science, Climate, and Agency Through Action
Keynote Presentation: “Hope Through Action” – Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Science Fair (FLASF)
Role: Dan Hendry
Year: 2024
Science has always sat at the heart of my work—not just as a discipline, but as a way of understanding and shaping the world around us. On March 22, 2024, I had the opportunity to return to the Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Science Fair as a keynote speaker, alongside my friend and colleague Cedric Pepelea. Together, we delivered a keynote titled Hope Through Action, designed to connect the science students are learning today with the climate solutions our communities need tomorrow.
My role focused on shaping and delivering a keynote experience that was inspiring, practical, and grounded in science. I prepared a presentation that drew from my work in youth transit, behaviour change, and community‑based climate action, showing students how the tools they already use—observation, experimentation, and problem‑solving—are the same tools driving real‑world climate solutions.
Rather than focusing on abstract challenges, I grounded the presentation in local examples of action and positive outcomes. We explored how curiosity leads to insight, and how insight leads to action—whether that means re‑thinking how people move through a city or re‑imagining how energy systems can work for communities. Throughout the session, I emphasized that science is not separate from solution‑building; it is the foundation of it.
The keynote was a collaborative effort. Cedric contributed his expertise as an energy systems professor and, through his work with Indigenous Clean Energy, while I shared lessons learned from years of working at the intersection of sustainability, systems thinking, and youth engagement. Together, we aimed to move beyond narratives of climate despair and instead focus on possibility, agency, and community‑led change.
A meaningful part of the experience was engaging directly with students—answering questions, exploring their ideas, and reinforcing that their science fair projects were not just academic exercises, but early steps toward real‑world impact. Creating space for dialogue helped students see their work as part of something larger than the fair itself.
This experience reinforced something I continue to see across my work: hope isn’t passive. Hope is found in action, experimentation, and the willingness to try. When young people are shown that their curiosity matters—and that others have walked this path before them—confidence follows. Standing in front of that room and connecting science to purpose was a powerful reminder that the future of climate leadership is already taking shape.
Related Links & Media: https://flasf.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/Keynote-Hope-Through-Action.pdf https://www.dhendry.com/project/hope-through-action-inspiring-youth-at-the-youth-climate-action-summit