Special Collections:
Our Youth Speak Up
On June 27, 2022, a discussion explored Blue Shield's latest Youth Climate Survey, focusing on how climate change impacts the mental health of young people.
The event featured insights from David W. Bond (Director of Behavioral Health, Blue Shield of California—Promise Health Plan), youth environmental activist Kat Lee (APEN), and student representative Maya Gomez (Mind Out Loud, Whitney High School). Additional speakers included Antoinette Mayer (Senior Director, Corporate Citizenship, Blue Shield), Joel Castro (President, Cesar Chavez Service Club), and co-host Michelle Meow (Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show").
For the Climate Justice Movement to achieve true "justice," it must be radically inclusive, intersecting with social, racial, gender, and disability justice movements. Alexia Leclercq, a Brower Youth Award winner and environmental justice organizer, passionately advocates for these rarely discussed aspects of intersectionality.
Leclercq delivered this talk at the 2021 Bioneers Conference. Learn more at www.bioneers.org.
Young people worldwide are actively addressing the climate crisis and demanding action from leaders. Our Creating Citizens initiative provides a forum for youth to connect with peers and civic leaders on pressing issues.
Join us for a special panel featuring young climate activists discussing their work and the power of youth to tackle climate and social injustice. Educators and students registering receive a free copy of Vanessa Nakate's book, *A Bigger Picture: My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the Climate Crisis*.
Additional books are available at the Club's online bookstore. Support our work: Become a Member.
Following his COP26 speech on November 8, 2021, President Barack Obama joined youth climate activists, including Columbia students, at a private roundtable. Co-sponsored by the Columbia Climate School and the Obama Foundation, the discussion explored the future of climate action and what inspires hope.
The session featured Andrew Fagerheim (SEAS'24), Eduarda Zoghbi (SIPA'22), and Columbia Obama Scholar Christian Vanizette.
Watch the entire session on C-SPAN: https://bit.ly/3ofNEoC
Wolf Joe is a new animated series following Joe, a young First Nations boy. Inspired by the universal values of The Seven Teachings Wheel, Joe and his two best friends explore Indigenous culture, heritage, and identity.
This 46 x 11-minute animated action-adventure series is a TVOkids Original. It was created in collaboration with the Turtle Lodge, Media Rendezvous, and Amberwood Entertainment.
The 21st annual Brower Youth Awards, a two-part virtual event, celebrated six inspiring youth leaders in the environmental movement. The "Meet-the-Winners Q&A" explored their passion and purpose, reflecting the event's core theme.
These award recipients are thought leaders and environmental activists, dedicated to making the world a better place and galvanizing others towards environmental mobilization. The Brower Youth Awards, the flagship event of the New Leaders Initiative, has recognized outstanding youth leaders since 2000. It is hosted by the New Leaders Initiative and presented by Earth Island Institute.
Learn more at broweryouthawards.org.
While volunteering at a Warrenville, Illinois juvenile detention center, Isabella Wallmow, 20, realized incarcerated youth needed healing, not just punishment. Inspired by permaculture agriculture, she conceived a gardening program. With support from the Resiliency Institute and detention staff, she launched the Seeds for Change Garden Program in 2019.
Seeds for Change creates a safe, healing space, equipping youth with marketable skills. The program empowers them to lead all aspects of gardening, from planting to harvesting, addressing food insecurity and providing valuable health education.
Alexandra Collins delivered a speech at the 2020 Brower Youth Awards.
The ceremony was held virtually on October 15. For more details about the awards, visit the official website: Brower Youth Awards.
Danielle Boyer delivered a speech at the 2020 Brower Youth Awards.
The event was held virtually on October 15. For more information, visit the Brower Youth Awards website: broweryouthawards.org.
Haana Edenshaw delivered a speech at the 2020 Brower Youth Awards.
The event was held virtually on October 15. Further details about the awards are available at broweryouthawards.org.
Isabella Wallmow delivered a speech at the 2020 Brower Youth Awards, which took place virtually on October 15.
Further details about the awards are available on the Brower Youth Awards website.
Chander Payne delivered a speech at the 2020 Brower Youth Awards.
The event was held virtually on October 15. For more details, visit the Brower Youth Awards website: www.broweryouthawards.org
While volunteering at a juvenile detention center, Isabella Wallmow, 20, realized incarcerated youth needed healing, not just punishment. Inspired by permaculture agriculture, she conceived a gardening program in 2018.
With support from the Resiliency Institute and enthusiastic detention center staff, Isabella launched the Seeds for Change Garden Program in 2019. This initiative creates a safe, healing space, empowering youth with marketable skills.
Seeds for Change prioritizes youth voices, allowing them to manage all aspects of the garden, from planting to harvesting. The program addresses food insecurity and provides valuable health education. Learn more at Brower Youth Awards.
Ojibwe youth Danielle Boyer, 19, founded The STEAM Connection to combat disparities in quality STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) education. Her early experiences highlighted how unequal access disadvantages low-income students and impacts our planet's future.
The STEAM Connection prioritizes Indigenous and other communities of color, offering free classes and events on recycling, innovation, and sustainable design. Danielle helps children realize their potential as environmental innovators and fosters interest in STEAM careers.
Through initiatives like robotics kits made from recycled materials and mentoring 35 youth teams, Danielle has reached tens of thousands of students globally.
Haana Edenshaw, 16, a Haida Nation member and seasoned activist, is one of 15 Canadian youth suing the federal government for its role in the climate crisis. Her deep commitment to environmental and Indigenous rights, rooted in ancestral knowledge of land stewardship, has seen her organize climate strikes, speak with Greta Thunberg, and address the UN.
The lawsuit argues that Canada's continued support of fossil fuels violates the youth's rights to life, liberty, security, equality, and public trust. This action is part of a global youth movement, supported by Our Children’s Trust, holding governments accountable for climate change. Learn more: Brower Youth Awards
At 16, Alexandra Collins discovered Sterigenics had emitted levels of ethylene oxide (EtO), a known carcinogen, near her Hinsdale, Illinois, community for decades. Her neighborhood's high cancer rate (nine times the national average) spurred Alexandra to cofound Students Against Ethylene Oxide (SAEtO) to ban EtO emissions near schools and homes.
SAEtO educates the public, advocates for safer sterilization, and organizes campaigns. Alexandra's advocacy, with allied groups, led to the 2019 closure of the Sterigenics facility near her home. She also launched EtO-Free, a project whose all-girl team created a website reviewing EtO-free beauty products, empowering women to demand manufacturing transparency.
Learn more at broweryouthawards.org.
Eighteen-year-old Diego Arreola Fernández founded Green Speaking after learning about plastic pollution at the 2019 Ocean Heroes Bootcamp. His campaign uses in-school engagement, social media, and motivational videos to encourage Mexican children, schools, and businesses to combat plastic pollution through habit and policy changes. He also delivers talks to diverse audiences, from young children to business leaders, and postponed a 2020 conference to 2021 due to Covid-19.
Despite Mexico's challenges with violence, poverty, and inequality, environmental awareness is crucial. Diego aims to transform Green Speaking into an environmental organization. Its mission will be to cultivate more leaders, empowering them to advocate for the planet and inspire a sustainable future.
In 2016, 18-year-old Chander Payne addressed his school's fresh produce shortage by connecting its food pantry with a local farm, delivering 20 pounds weekly. Inspired by regenerative agriculture, he founded Urban Beet farm in his high school courtyard. He invited youth from the Washington DC–based Homeless Children’s Playtime Project to grow vegetables, and his team partnered with True Food Kitchen to provide 20 children with farm-fresh meals.
Urban Beet has since provided 2,500 pounds of produce to underserved families and people experiencing homelessness, replicating its model nationwide. During the pandemic, they also donated 200 Free Little Farms—windowsill planters complete with soil, seeds, and support notes. Learn more at Brower Youth Awards.
Diego Arreola Fernández delivered a speech at the 2020 Brower Youth Awards. This prestigious event celebrates young environmental leaders.
The awards ceremony was held virtually on October 15. For additional information about the Brower Youth Awards, please visit their official website: www.broweryouthawards.org.
Unngoorra Harbour, an alum of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF), congratulates the Class of 2020 on their achievements.
Unngoorra attended Queensland University of Technology and St Joseph's Nudgee College, graduating in 2015.
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The Thinking Game | Full documentary | Tribeca Film Festival official selection
“The Thinking Game” is the inside story of DeepMind's groundbreaking AI research, culminating in the Nobel Prize-winning AlphaFold breakthrough. Filmed over five years by the award-winning team behind "AlphaGo," this documentary explores co-founder Demis Hassabis's lifelong pursuit of artificial general intelligence and the rigorous scientific journey from mastering strategy games to solving the 50-year-old protein folding problem.
Following its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival, "The Thinking Game" is now available to watch for free. For those interested in hosting a screening for a classroom, community, or workplace, visit: rocofilms.com/films/the-thinking-game/.
