Our Shared Climate Future: Growing Youth Agency & Engagement

K-12 STEAM education

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Youth in LA County are feeling the effects of climate change — record heat, prolonged drought, and intensifying wildfires that threaten their health, homes, and ecosystems. These risks affect the future of young people, who often have the fewest chances to participate in solutions. As impacts escalate and the 2028 Olympics near, the urgency to mobilize youth in local climate and nature efforts has never been greater. While programs like neighborhood councils exist, too few meaningful and accessible opportunities exist for community-level engagement. Without inclusive pathways, like culturally relevant mapping projects, service learning, and direct dialogue with leaders, many young people remain sidelined. This silences the voices of the most impacted and stalls the bold, community-driven ideas needed. If we fail to act now, we risk leaving behind a generation that has the most at stake and the greatest potential to shape a nature-centered, climate-resilient future for LA County.

This grant will help expand the R&S LA Basecamp to engage 2,000 youth in LA — particularly those in fire-affected and under-resourced neighborhoods. R&S equips young people to identify challenges in their communities, connect with local leaders, and lead service projects through our R&S 4-Step Formula for youth-led action. Participants will receive hands-on training, mentorship, and access to $500 R&S Grants to turn their ideas into action. Projects will be identified by youth themselves and may address local concerns such as air quality, urban heat, wildfire resilience, and green space preservation. To elevate their work, we will host a youth summit in Spring 2026 for 500 trained participants to showcase projects and present recommendations to elected officials. Throughout the initiative, a storytelling project will highlight gains in ecological literacy, leadership, and civic confidence. By partnering with schools, libraries, and youth-serving organizations, we will ensure the program is accessible, rooted in local context, and scalable. This model is unique in its depth of support, community integration, and emphasis on youth voice, showing that when young people are equipped and trusted to lead, they drive bold, inclusive solutions LA’s climate future demands.

The R&S LA Basecamp will successfully reshape LA County into a region where youth are seen and supported as essential leaders driving climate innovation. Over the grant period, 2,000 young people will identify local challenges, develop and lead community-driven projects, and engage directly with neighbors and decision-makers. Fire-affected and under-resourced neighborhoods will benefit from youth-led solutions like community gardens, tree plantings, and green space restorations. A 2026 youth summit will elevate these voices to policymakers, creating a platform for youth to share LA’s climate vision ahead of the 2028 Olympics. Long-term, we will grow a sustained pipeline of young changemakers through deep partnerships with schools, libraries, and civic institutions. As this model scales, LA will become a national leader in youth-centered climate action — where intergenerational collaboration, equity, and community-rooted innovation drive a more just and resilient future for all.