The Future is Youth-Led: How to Support Youth Leadership Now and Into the Future

with Youth Group organized by Mason County Climate Justice

Rural, poor, and/or BIPOC young people are on the frontlines of climate, economic, and social crises. This gives them some of the most critical perspectives on what we should be prioritizing in our communities. Come here collective wisdom directly from a panel of high school students currently involved with Mason County Climate Justice’s youth program Cedar Stewards of Mason County (also known as “CSMC”–pronounced “cosmic” –for short). Named by the youth themselves, CSMC began as a way to bring youth voices to local government policy, such as affordable housing and climate resilience. Leading their peers and adult neighbors in creating a more equitable future, CSMC youth have won policy changes, conducted local research, been appointed to government advisory roles, and developed their skills as Mason County’s next generation of leaders. These youth leaders will share how organizations and adult mentors can lift up youth voices, meet the current needs of young people, and support youth leadership now and into the future.