Youth for Environmental Action
“I am passionate about social justice and I want to make sure that future generations have the same opportunities to be enriched in the outdoors as I have had.”
–Youth for Environmental Action Leader
The purpose of Youth for Environmental Action is to connect students who are passionate about the environment and who want to take action together for the future. YEA students work on projects that increase school sustainability, advocate with school leaders for change, and plan and lead Santa Cruz County’s annual Environmental Action Summit bringing together community leaders, educators, and students to find solutions to the environmental issues our community faces. No previous leadership experience is needed! See the program overview here for more information!
How does YEA work? How do you join?
Applications for 2023- 2024 are now open! APPLY HERE A new YEA Team is formed each school year. Applications are accepted from all high schools across the county and you do not need any leadership experience to apply! Choose the level of commitment that works for you.
1) Leadership Team
Join the core leadership team! Students from high schools across the county work together to identify YEA projects and lead the annual Youth for Environmental Action Summit.
Meets Thursdays 4-5pm on zoom, plus once a month in person on Saturdays 10-2. FYI--there are up to 5 leaders per school so spread the word!
2) Support Team
Join your school’s support team to work with the leaders from your school and take action at your school site
Meets every other week in person at school. Action projects will be highlighted at the YEA Summit
YEA ACTION PROJECTS
2023 YEA Summit
Students are the group that will be most impacted by climate change, yet too often our voices are left out of conversations about how to address these matters. To close this gap, Youth for Environment Action (YEA) hosts our annual Summit. This year's theme was "Empowering Teens for Climate Action."
On April 17th, over 200 attendees gathered at Camp Koinonia Conference Grounds for the summit which featured a diverse panel of speakers answering pressing questions about the climate, students learning more about how they can pursue local change, and collaboration across age ranges and professions. This annual event is planned by a team of YEA Student Leaders representing all high schools across the county. The summit featured a Community Action Fair, in which local organizations hosted tables where attendees made commitments to actionable steps to combat climate change. Students networked and met with organizations offering opportunities such as volunteer sign-ups, pledging to lower carbon footprints, and joining student-led advocacy groups.
Student attendees also connected with their school district leaders to discuss how they can be involved in the policymaking at their own schools. “YEA altered this summit from last year by adding in action commitments, inviting new speakers, and focusing more on student empowerment. I’m sure we all can’t wait to see the impact it will have,” said Avonlea Harwood, YEA student leader. READ ALL ABOUT IT IN THIS ARTICLE BY A YEA STUDENT LEADER
Survey on School Environmental Action
In Fall 2022, YEA created and distributed a survey to schools across the county to gather data directly from students and staff about their impressions of how sustainable schools are, how much schools connect students with environmental curriculum and outdoor learning, and how climate change and environmental issues affect health. Explore some of the results here.
Board Resolution for Schools
In 2021-2022, YEA leaders developed a TEMPLATE Board Resolution for Environmental Action. YEA Student Leaders met with the Santa Cruz County School Board Association to deliver this presentation and share the template resolution.
Elevating Student Voice
YEA Students bring youth perspectives to school board presentations, radio programs, conferences, district green teams, and education events. They also produce videos to share youth voices with school leaders, teachers and peers. See our youtube channel and follow @sccstudentleadership on Instagram to hear from us.
For more information contact: Amity Sandage, Environmental Literacy Coordinator and YEA Advisor, at asandage@santacruzcoe.org
Y.E.A Advisor
Amity Sandage,
pronouns: she/her/hers
Environmental Literacy Coordinator at Santa Cruz County Office of Education
My work, which I love, is to support schools to build students' understanding of and connection to the environment, so they are empowered and prepared to take action for a sustainable future.
A quote that I believe in: "Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries." --Jimmy Carter
