The Young Climate Leaders of Color (YCLC) program envisions a healthy vibrant ecosystem of young leaders of color working successfully to advocate for and transform their communities for racial and environmental justice with access to support, resources, and funding while transforming the broader climate movement.
Throughout the larger ecosystem, there is strong recognition that youth have a critical role to play in terms of climate justice, action, and resilience. Many of our organizational partners reflect that recognition. In the design process for YCLC, we have engaged people and organizations as advisors from the broader ecosystem that work on similar efforts with youth. We have asked what the larger movement needs, wants, and the ways in which it would like to see this work approached and enacted. We’ve heard from and plan to continue partnering with national organizations like Race Forward, the Center for Story Based Strategy, Powershift, the Movement for Black Lives, and Native Organizers Alliance to California-based organizations such as YUCA (Youth United for Community Action), Local Clean Energy Alliance, New Voices Rising, ASATA, and the Center for Cultural Power. We recognize that this work needs to be done in partnership and collaboration every step of the way- from design and recruitment, to support and mentorship, and evaluation- and with the expertise and experience of partners rooted in youth development and climate work.
