How are youth impacted by environmental injustice?
Young people are often described as the future of climate action, but many are leading change now. In this episode, Ami explores how Wisconsin students are turning ideas into action through the Youth Climate Action Fund. By supporting projects designed by youth for youth, the program helps students address environmental challenges in their communities. Ami meets young leaders to learn how their projects–from community gardens to sustainability programs–are creating opportunities for learning, leadership, and meaningful change.
Let's take a look
Questions to consider
How do large systems impact young people’s experiences and choices when it comes to climate change?
What motivates Amerius and Namaiya to be involved in climate action? What do you think about their approach to getting involved?
Meet the Changemakers
Get to know the historians. Each historian in this episode has a card with information about that historian.
There are 3 cards to read.
Taylor Seale
I work with youth to turn their ideas into real programs that improve the health and well-being of their community.
Reya Khatri
YCAF & BYFY Member
I work with a team to evaluate youth-led grant proposals for initiatives to better our community.
Esther Ko
YCAF & BYFY Member
I was a YCAF (Youth Climate Action Fund) intern and BYFY (By Youth For Youth) board member. We award grants to programs that help the community and environment!
Quote from a historian
“Youth have the power to make big change in their communities.”
Taylor Seale
Bibliography
Erickson, Jim. “Minority, Low-Income Neighborhoods Targeted for Hazardous Waste.” The University Record, The University Record, 10 Jan. 2016, record.umich.edu/articles/minority-low-income-neighborhoods-targeted-hazardous-waste/.
“Impacts of Climate Change on Socially Vulnerable Populations.” Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, 2 Sept. 2021, www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-report-shows-disproportionate-impacts-climate-change-socially-vulnerable.
Landrigan, Philip J., et al. “Environmental justice and the health of children.” Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine: A Journal of Translational and Personalized Medicine, vol. 77, no. 2, Mar. 2010, pp. 178–187, https://doi.org/10.1002/msj.20173.
“Mapping Food Deserts in the United States.” Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1 Dec. 2011, www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2011/december/data-feature-mapping-food-deserts-in-the-u-s.
Mohai, Paul, and Robin Saha. “Which came first, people or pollution? assessing the disparate siting and post-siting demographic change hypotheses of environmental injustice.” Environmental Research Letters, vol. 10, no. 11, 1 Nov. 2015, p. 115008, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/11/115008.
Episode credits
Producer
Kylie Compe
Story
David Boffa
Ian Glodich
Tori Charnetzki
Kylie Compe
Ryan Hendricks
Script
Kylie Compe
Director of Photography
Ian Glodich
Videography
David Boffa
Ian Glodich
Tori Charnetzki
Kylie Compe
Editors
David Boffa
Kylie Compe
Audio
Kerman Eckes
Host
Ami Eckard-Lee
Graphics and Design
Charles Barrows
Animations
Ian Glodich
Illustrations
Cam Erhardt
Special Guests
Taylor Seale
Reya Khatri
Esther Ko
Amerius Jones
Namaiya Nellem
Translation Services
Rev
Captions
Catie Pfeifer
Educator Support Materials
Mia Forslund
Jen Kobylecky
Web Design
Charles Barrows
Erika Kachama-Nkoy
Web Development
John Vieth
Digital Content
Sigrid Peterson
Executive Producer
Ryan Hendricks
Director of Education
Megan Monday
Director of Television
Jon Miskowski
Special Thanks
UW-Department of Extension
Freedom, Inc.
Project Advisors
Kevin Anderson
Science Education Consultant
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Leigh Kohlmann
Independent Science Education Consultant
Oakfield, WI
Dolly Ledin
Wisconsin’s Green Fire
Madison, WI
Michael Notaro
Center for Climatic Research
Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Victoria Rydberg-Nania
Environmental Education and Service Learning Consultant
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Funding provided by
Dr. Annette Beyer-Mears in memory of Howard & Nelle Weiss, Virginia Graves and Peter Tropman
Friends of PBS Wisconsin
Focus Fund for Education