This is a tree that my grandmother planted before I was born. I never had the chance to meet her, and she knew that this tree wasn’t for her. It was for future generations. To me, this tree is a living, breathing reminder of tikkun olam. And in my work with climate justice, I really hope to plant trees literally and figuratively for future generations.
I founded the Bay Area Youth Climate Summit to mobilize, educate, and empower youth to believe that they can make a difference.
Our annual summits engage hundreds of youth from all over the Bay Area in workshops, exciting keynote speakers, and then we challenge them to create achievable climate action plans that they can implement in their communities, ranging from sustainable architecture to ocean acidification, phone banking, and housing, and environmental justice.
I’ve been so proud to see the city and adults alike take notice, but mostly seeing so many other youth become motivated and inspired and acting for the future.