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- Ami Eckard-Lee:
Climate change

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is a global environmental issue,

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but it's also
a humanitarian crisis

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that disproportionately impacts
marginalized communities

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all over the world.

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Climate change has
a greater impact

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on marginalized groups of people

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because of the preexisting
effects of systemic racism

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and historical inequalities
that lead to greater exposure

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to harmful pollutants
and unsafe environments.

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This inequitable
and heavy burden

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of exposure
to environmental hazards

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is referred to
as environmental injustice.

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But there is one group of people
who are often overlooked

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when we talk about impacts
of climate change

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on people: youth.

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So, how are youth impacted
by climate change?

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[bright music]

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Many people are considered
marginalized

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due to different forms
of discrimination.

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Racial and ethnic minorities,
low-income communities,

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people with disabilities,
the elderly, youth, and more.

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Youth and other
marginalized groups

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face political disadvantages
that make it hard

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for their voices to be heard.

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Despite this
political suppression,

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they're valuable changemakers
and innovators

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who are stepping up
to challenge societal norms

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and fight for climate action.

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So, how are youth empowering
marginalized voices

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and supporting systemic change?

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And who is empowering them?

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- Taylor Seale: Youth are
constantly underestimated.

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I run a program in partnership
with the City of Madison,

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Dane County, and United Way
of Dane County,

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and we organize a group
of high school students

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who have the opportunity

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to tangibly fund
K through 12 initiatives

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that are designed by youth,
for youth,

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and through all of our work,
we firmly believe

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that youth have the power
to make big change

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in their communities.

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They are experts
in their communities.

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- Ami: Bloomberg Philanthropies
created an international program

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called the Youth Climate Action
Fund that distributes funding

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to various youth-led climate
projects around the world.

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Madison, Wisconsin was chosen
as a participating city

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in both 2024 and 2025.

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- Reya Khatri: By Youth
for Youth is a committee

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of Dane County
high school students

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that make investment decisions
to support youth-led programs

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and projects in Dane County.

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BYFY members identify issues
impacting youth in Dane County,

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establish funding priorities,
review grant proposals,

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and recommend funding
from county and city grants

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to support projects

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developed and implemented
by youth for youth.

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We all come from different
backgrounds and locations,

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but we all have a passion
for youth voice

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and impacting the
vulnerable populations

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in our community.

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There were so many
great applications

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that we saw come through.

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The individual impact that each
of these projects holds

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contributes to the
greater community

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because of the youth they
involve, the different schools,

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for example, it's giving
those youth an opportunity

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to be a part of something
larger than themselves.

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I feel like, for me,

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when I was looking
at the grants,

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I really wanted to fund
a program

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that would not just contribute
a couple months,

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but could be expanded throughout
a couple of years as well.

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- Esther Ko: So, we also kind of
looked at, like, the impact

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and if it was diverse or not.

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- We looked at the demographics
of people as well,

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and through that, we identified
which ones we wanted to fund.

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- Ami: The By Youth for Youth
members awarded funding

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to 17 youth-led environmental
projects

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to help students get involved
in community action.

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These projects ranged in focus
from composting to solar

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and even sustainable
transportation.

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The goal was to give youth
the opportunity

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to have their voices heard,

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and to give them the support
they need

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to make actionable change
within their communities.

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One of the awarded groups

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was the Freedom, Inc.
Youth Squad,

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who proposed creating a garden

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to teach young Hmong and Black
girls about food sovereignty

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while providing fresh,
culturally relevant produce

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to their community.

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- Amerius Jones:
The gardening project

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was really for us
to learn and, like, give back.

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So, it's like basically
a give and take.

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We take more information
with learning about gardening

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and how to access food
naturally,

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while also, like, giving back
to our community,

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because a lot of the times

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with communities like
people of color,

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they're put in, like,
neighborhoods

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where, like, access
to natural food is not easy.

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So, like, a food desert where,
like,

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they'll have, like,
a McDonald's,

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a Wendy's, a Burger King,
but like,

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the grocery store is probably,
like, 20 minutes away.

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- A food desert
generally refers to a community

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that does not have access
to healthy and affordable foods.

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These communities often don't
have local grocery stores

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and are limited in public
transportation options

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that could get them to one.

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This can make accessing healthy

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and affordable food
very difficult,

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which forces members
of these communities

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to rely on fast-food chains

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or the prepackaged,
processed foods

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found in convenience stores.

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This lack of access to a
sustainable environment

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is another form
of environmental injustice

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that actively suppresses
and contributes

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to disproportionately high
health-related issues

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for people in these communities.

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Who is your project
aiming to help?

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- Namaiya Nellem: Our project
is aiming

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to help minority groups
of people

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in our community, which our
community is Black people,

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Southeast Asian girls, women,
and queer folks.

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- Can you tell me what you
ended up choosing to plant?

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- Namaiya: So, we chose to plant
collard greens,

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tomatoes, lavender,

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habanero, basil.
- Amerius: Basil.

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- Namaiya: Zucchini,
strawberries.

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We grew a lot of stuff that was
culturally relevant

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to our groups of people.

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Like, we use collard greens
for, like, soul food.

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We use, you know,
zucchini for soul food,

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you know what I'm saying?

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So, we use it that, like,
culturally relevant to us

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and our community.

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- Yeah, something
that means something to us.

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- Why are, like,
culturally relevant foods

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so important
for specific communities?

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- Because our food basically
shows how we live on.

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Like, food that is passed down
from generation to generation

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shows how we could stay
connected to the people

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that came before us
within our community.

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It shows that once you give
people who don't have it

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the opportunity to learn things,
it grows them as a person

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and as a community.

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- And it's, like,
a tradition thing.

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Everybody has their traditions,

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and sometimes food is a part
of a tradition.

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- Namaiya: And that's especially
for communities

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that are underprivileged.

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It's important that we have
things that are fresh

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and grown by us, for us.

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- Why did you two choose
to participate

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in climate action?

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- I care about what I consume,

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what I breathe in,
what I breathe out.

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That's why it's very important
to me.

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But the best thing you can do
is, like, start where you are.

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So, like, starting your own
garden.

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Once you start at home,
you can tell your friends,

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and their friends
tell their friends,

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and so on and so forth.

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- I think of it, like,
it starts with me,

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you know, like whatever
I wanna do,

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I can't make nobody else do it.

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I got to start it myself.

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And then, people will
follow suit.

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You just gotta have, like,
the right mindset

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and the right goal,

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and your outcome
will be beautiful.

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- Taking action
for our environment

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has never been more important,
and amplifying the voices

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of those facing the greatest
impact is a great way

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to start combating
environmental injustice

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in our communities.

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You can get involved
in climate activism by joining

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or starting environmental clubs
at your school.

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Seek out existing organizations
that uplift marginalized groups

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and offer your support

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through volunteering
and outreach.

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If you wanna take things
a step further,

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you could find out who
your representatives are

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and write to them.

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You could encourage them
to vote for policies

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that help combat
environmental injustice

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and uplift marginalized
communities in your area.

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By breaking down the barriers

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that confine
marginalized groups,

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we can empower individuals
and communities

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to work towards
environmental justice

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and equality.

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Meaningful change happens
when all perspectives

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have a place at the table,
including youth.

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So, get out there
and make your voice heard.

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[bright music]

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- We out here working
on our beautiful garden,

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as you can see.

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Having a little trial
and error here,

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but we gonna get this right
for the community!