OUR STRATEGIES

PUBLIC LEADERSHIP

The Youth for Climate Resilience program is at the forefront of empowering young people as leaders in the climate justice movement. This dynamic initiative provides in-depth training that builds critical skills in advocacy, policy development, and community organizing, with a particular focus on integrating climate resilience into local governance. By equipping youth with the tools to drive change, we foster leadership in creating climate policies that address the disproportionate impacts of climate change on our communities. Youth participants will engage in action-oriented workshops, collaborate with environmental experts, and contribute to real-world campaigns for climate justice, including initiatives that promote community-based adaptation strategies such as green infrastructure and disaster preparedness. Additionally, participants will have opportunities to create public awareness campaigns focused on climate solutions that honor and include Indigenous knowledge and sovereignty, ensuring that these communities’ needs are at the heart of climate action efforts.

• Climate Policy Advocacy: Developing youth-driven, actionable climate policies that prioritize heat mitigation, food security, clean energy, and equitable access to environmental resources.

• Climate Equity: Directly addressing climate vulnerability and resilience by promoting BIPOC-led climate adaptation solutions that prioritize access to clean energy, water, and air for our communities.

Partnerships for Collective Action: Establishing long-term partnerships with local governments, NGOs, and national climate organizations to create pathways for youth-led advocacy that influences local and national climate policy.

CULTURAL ORGANIZING

• Our cultural resilience programs are designed to reconnect youth with sustainable, climate-positive practices that have been passed down through generations. These hands-on activities empower youth to engage directly with the land and to develop climate resilience strategies rooted in their unique cultural heritage. These programs promote food sovereignty, ecosystem restoration, and environmental stewardship while building intergenerational knowledge networks. By blending traditional ecological knowledge with modern climate resilience strategies, we empower youth to build solutions that are both innovative and rooted in community.

  • Sowing Seeds for Sustainability: This program teaches youth about climate-resilient agriculture techniques, such as regenerative farming, water conservation practices, and soil health management. These skills equip youth to adapt to climate stressors like drought, heat, and soil degradation while promoting sustainable local food systems that reduce reliance on industrial agriculture.

    • Agroecology and Regenerative Practices: Youth learn how to implement regenerative farming methods, including crop rotation, companion planting, and soil enrichment, to restore and maintain healthy, sustainable ecosystems.

    • Urban Agriculture Solutions: Exploring innovative ways to use urban spaces to grow food (e.g., rooftop gardens, hydroponics, and vertical farming) to tackle food insecurity, combat food deserts, and ensure local food sovereignty.

  • Restoring Ecosystems & Biodiversity: Youth-led restoration projects focus on reintroducing native plant species, protecting pollinators, and building urban green spaces to reduce the urban heat island effect, enhance air quality, and improve overall community resilience to climate extremes.

    • Urban Green Infrastructure: Developing green spaces such as community parks, green roofs, and urban forests that help mitigate heat, enhance biodiversity, and provide cooling benefits.

    • Pollinator and Fungal Restoration: Implementing pollinator gardens and fungi-based ecosystems to restore local biodiversity, improve food production systems, and reduce the carbon footprint of conventional agriculture.

  • Herbal Apothecary & Traditional Healing: This program emphasizes the healing properties of native plants and traditional herbal medicine, providing youth with the tools to cultivate and use medicinal plants that can reduce their reliance on pharmaceutical products. This not only enhances health resilience but also connects youth with cultural traditions that have withstood the test of time.

    • Sustainable Herbal Farming: Training youth in sustainable herbal farming, focusing on plants that are both locally adapted and beneficial for health, as well as exploring climate-resilient growing techniques.

    • Alternative Health Solutions: Promoting community-based wellness programs that integrate herbal remedies, mindfulness, and traditional healing practices for physical and mental health resilience in the face of climate stress.

  • Outdoor Survival and Nature-Based Skills: Through camping and survival skills workshops, youth are taught essential outdoor skills that emphasize sustainability, resourcefulness, and resilience in natural environments. These experiences foster leadership, adaptability, and a deeper understanding of nature’s systems—skills that are critical for resilience in a changing climate.

  Nature-Based Disaster Preparedness: Training youth in disaster response strategies, including emergency shelter construction, water purification, and fire safety, ensuring that they are prepared to lead in times of crisis.

LEGAL ACCESS & MUTUAL AID

Our Legal Access & Mutual Aid program is designed to ensure that our communities have access to both the legal frameworks and resources needed to confront climate impacts. By providing legal support and mutual aid networks, we address the critical gaps in climate justice that often leave vulnerable populations without necessary protection or resources.

• Climate Justice Legal Support: Youth and families are trained to navigate and advocate for their rights in climate-related legal matters. This includes support for heat relief initiatives, clean energy access, water rights, and air quality regulations, ensuring equitable distribution of climate justice resources. Participants will engage with environmental law professionals to understand and navigate local, state, and federal policies that affect their communities.

  • Climate Litigation Advocacy: Youth will participate in campaigns that support climate litigation, advocating for policies that demand clean air, water, and equitable access to renewable energy.

  • Community Legal Clinics: Offering free, accessible legal services to communities, addressing issues like climate-related displacement, utility shutoffs, and air pollution.

• Mutual Aid Programs: Our mutual aid network empowers youth to build resilience within their own communities by sharing resources and providing support where it is needed most. Programs include:

  • Food Security & Climate Resilience: Expanding community-based food distribution systems to ensure that all residents have access to healthy, local food, regardless of the impacts of climate disruptions.

  • Sustainable Resource Distribution: Providing access to refill stations, tool-sharing libraries, and gardening supplies, helping families reduce consumption and promote sustainable living.

Emergency Response Networks: Building youth-led networks for distributing supplies and coordinating community action during extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and floods, to ensure quick and equitable responses to climate emergencies.

ENTREPRENEUR AND EDUCATION

Our Climate Entrepreneurship & Education initiative provides youth with the necessary skills, mentorship, and resources to develop and scale innovative, climate-resilient solutions. We focus on cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset that prioritizes sustainability and social equity while addressing climate challenges. By equipping youth with the knowledge to create scalable, impactful solutions, this program fosters climate leadership that is both economically viable and environmentally responsible.

• Green Business Incubator: Youth have access to a climate-focused entrepreneurship incubator where they receive mentorship, training, and funding to launch their own green businesses. Whether it’s sustainable fashion, renewable energy, or low-carbon transportation solutions, this program ensures that youth are developing skills to drive the green economy.

  • Sustainable Innovation Hubs: Providing youth with hands-on learning experiences, including design thinking workshops, prototyping sessions, and climate innovation challenges that encourage problem-solving around climate impacts such as water scarcity, energy efficiency, and waste reduction.

  • Networking & Mentorship: Building partnerships with industry leaders, startups, and environmental organizations to connect youth with career opportunities, internships, and internships in climate-resilient sectors.

• Green Career Pathways: By offering career readiness programs and certifications in fields like renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and environmental science, we ensure that youth are well-positioned to lead the workforce transition to a low-carbon economy. Youth gain practical skills in energy efficiency, sustainable construction, and climate resilience planning, allowing them to contribute directly to community climate solutions.