Youth engagement council to focus on empowering youth in civic engagement
SAN ANTONIO (Nov. 17, 2020) – The Mayor’s Youth Engagement Council for Climate Initiatives (MYECCI) has officially launched with 35 area youth, representing each City Council district and 23 different schools, including public, private, charter and homeschool. The MYECCI held their inaugural meeting on Oct. 21 to discuss San Antonio’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. Members were selected through a competitive process after demonstrating an interest in advancing public policy that addresses climate change, community improvement and protecting vulnerable populations and nature.
Led and facilitated by EcoRise, with support from the City of San Antonio Mayor’s Office and the Office of Sustainability, the mission of the Council is to empower San Antonio’s next generation of climate champions with the tools they need to become effective advocates in their community. There is a strong focus on engaging youth of color and students that have been historically underrepresented in the environmental movement.
“Empowering our youth may be the single most important strategy we can take to address the climate crisis,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “Harnessing the creativity, brain power and energy of students who live in our community means that they can help craft solutions for their future in San Antonio.”
The MYECCI was made possible by a grant from the Hollomon Price Foundation, facilitated through San Antonio’s participation in the Bloomberg Philanthropies American Cities Climate Challenge.
“The Hollomon Price Foundation is very pleased to support Mayor Nirenberg’s initiative of having a Youth Engagement Council on Climate Initiatives in San Antonio,” said Hollomon Price Foundation Executive Director John Bellett. “Investing in local youth involvement, advocacy and activism around climate related issues will only strengthen San Antonio’s recently adopted Climate Action Plan and help our city move forward toward a smarter, more sustainable future.”
Throughout the academic year, students will have monthly convenings, participate in workshops, hear from guest speakers, participate in virtual tours and connect with their adult counterparts from the SA Climate Ready Climate Advisory Committees. Students will use their learnings to design a community-based project and present their work and outcomes to the larger community in the Spring of 2021.
For more information on the City’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, visit www.sanantonio.gov/sustainability. For more information about EcoRise, visit ecorise.org.
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