Youth Action for the Planet

Photo Credit: California Academy of Sciences

By Aleks Liou, Program Manager at Youth Action for the Planet.

This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs highlights examples of programs working at the  intersection of STEM and civic engagement. We are excited to showcase  the systemic change young people can make in their communities when  their afterschool programs support them to layer action onto their STEM   learning. If you would like to know more or submit a blog about your  youth action program, please contact us.

Youth Action for the Planet (YAP) is a new youth-led climate activism program at the California Academy of Sciences for people aged 13-18 who care about the natural world and want to protect and regenerate it. YAP was created to address challenges Academy educators and staff heard young people describe: difficulty accessing resources, age limitations within participatory democracy, and a need to forge meaningful connections and momentum across peer climate organizations. With YAP, teens across the Bay Area can take part in ongoing climate action and gain a community of fellow youth organizers. The new program brings the Academy’s unique resources and connections to YAP participants, who will connect with researchers, legislators, other youth climate organizations, industry professionals, and community leaders for intergenerational learning, skill sharing, and co-creating environmental solutions.

To support the development of dynamic youth leadership and to ensure that teen voices are the primary driving force of the program, YAP is led by a 14-member teen Leadership Design Council (LDC). LDC members work closely with Academy staff to design and produce public education and advocacy experiences for youth around climate action and conservation. Future LDC cohorts will be chosen by outgoing LDC members using criteria including a passion for climate and environmental justice, strong self-motivation, and commitment to personal growth and learning.

So far this year, the Leadership Design Council has helped organize field trips and guest lectures with Academy researchers and community organizers and planned two community convenings highlighting the importance of youth climate activism and taking climate action. In January, we hosted our inaugural MLK Day of Action, titled "We Have a Climate Dream,” bringing together 60 teen climate enthusiasts for a youth panel highlighting connections between racial and environmental justice. This was followed by networking sessions with youth participants representing Youth Action for the Planet, the Marie Harrison Community Foundation, Project Super Plants, the Bay Area Youth Climate Summit, and Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action. These youth-led organizations then engaged over 600 museum guests in their Activities Fair with interactive exercises, including screen printing, native seed planting, mask recycling, and social justice and advocacy tabling.

For Earth Day, the Leadership Design Council hosted our inaugural Earth Day Pop-Up. We created an interactive, temporary exhibit highlighting the history and origin of Earth Day with a historical timeline showcasing youth climate action in the Bay Area from the 1970s to the present. Guest speakers from SFinBloom and Thriving California, via our California Native Plants zine, helped share the research we have learned. With over 650 participants engaging in our hands-on activities, we encouraged youth and families to reimagine our collective climate future. Some sample activities included a collaborative art mural, signing local climate justice petitions, and a selfie booth where guests made Earth Month climate pledges.

Research has shown that school-aged youth become involved in activism to redress feelings of distance and alienation from school curriculum, exclusion from political processes, and frustration with adult control over their autonomy and self-expression. As a collective, YAP believes that any organization doing climate justice work must not only include the voices of youth, but also center and be led by young people. By participating in YAP, teens directly contribute to climate action and biodiversity research, strengthen their environmental literacy and advocacy skills, and collaborate with peers and adult allies to make a lasting positive impact on the planet.

LDC member Vivienne shares, "When I came across Youth Action for the Planet, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to be involved with other young people and actually be given resources to take action and accomplish the things that we want for the sake of the planet. To me, Youth Action for the Planet means us, as youth, collectively reclaiming our power as the next generation by leveraging our strengths for the betterment of the Earth and future, all while simultaneously creating an inclusive, welcoming space to thrive and show solidarity."

Fellow LDC member Surabhi adds, “Youth Action for the Planet is important because we are for youth, by youth. We focus on genuine action rather than just learning, and learning by experience helps us grow as climate advocates.”

Youth who are interested in joining or learning more about YAP can email youthaction@calacademy.org to be added to our community and notified of upcoming events, workshops, and ways to join.