Core Program

Young Climate Leaders of Color

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.

Project Details

  • We are excited to launch a nation-wide program in 2022 to support and create space for the leadership of our youth of color in the climate sphere. 
  • We aim to build community among a powerful group of youth of color and increase the awareness of what is happening within their larger ecosystem, solidify the community, and build capacity around the ecological wisdom and legacies of people of the global majority. 
  • To create a supportive space where these climate leaders can both lead and bask in each other’s leadership and inspiration as they move forward with projects, campaigns, policies, personal and community development. 
  • To reimagine a climate/environmental movement that is not divorced from the needs of youth of color and their communities, but informed by and led by them.
  • Establish a Youth Futures Fund governed by youth, for youth to pursue their climate justice education and work.

PROJECT LEAd

Latriece Love-Goodlett
latriece@climateinnovation.net