Spark Fund has provided $1,185 of match funding
Support Future Youth Climate Leaders
New York, United States
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Part of the New York Founding 50
Aim
Please help 60 New York students to become climate leaders. Donations will support leadership training, educational field trips and food.
Since 2020, the National Wildlife Federation’s Climate & Resilience Education Task Force Youth Steering Committee (YSC) after school program has provided hundreds of high school youth across New York with climate and conservation focused educational programming, access to exciting guest speakers, field trips, leadership development, and civic engagement opportunities - from advocating for effective policies to restoring degraded coastlines.
We’re asking for your support to raise $25,000 so we can continue running and scaling the YSC program, provide stimulating field trips and programming, and offer vital stipends to our students.
- $500 stipends for 30 students
- $5,000 for space rental and food for in-person events
- $3,000 for supplies for ACES in-school presentations (see below).
- $2,000 for student transportation to field trips.
YSC students have spoken at conferences and press events, launched their own peer-to-peer climate education program (ACES), and met with hundreds of lawmakers about their desire for more climate education and their dreams for a just and sustainable future. In March 2026, thanks to advocacy by these students, the National Wildlife Federation secured a historic statewide climate change learning requirement that will impact 2.4 million K-12 students and over 200,000 educators across New York!
Without stipends, many youth must choose between a paying job or being involved in the program. Stipends are a tool for equity and empowerment that can help offset these burdens.
Climate change is rapidly intensifying; the summer of 2026 was officially the hottest on record in the U.S.. Young people are living through historic floods, droughts, and wildfires that continue to displace and traumatize them and impact their access to school and education. As extreme weather events become more frequent and intense, it's vital that youth understand the risks and solutions.
The YSC program empowers young people with the knowledge to understand their rapidly changing world and take proactive steps to protect themselves and their communities. For example, we engage hundreds of students each year in shoreline restoration events, like these below, that help protect communities from flooding.
The YSC program builds confidence, leadership skills, and empathy in our students. Many YSCs secure internships, scholarships and admission to prestigious colleges where they go on to study environmental science or engineering, agriculture, policy, and government; many continue their advocacy in college. YSC alumna Ellery, now a sophomore at U Penn, is a shining example of this. Read about how the YSC impacted her (Photo of Ellery below by Tommy Leonardi)
The YSC is offering young climate leaders a supportive community they might not otherwise have access to. Ridley from Buffalo wrote: “I have learned so much from the YSC about climate, but also about myself and what I want to do in the future. If it wasn’t for the YSC, I don’t know where I would be now.”
Your financial support will directly impact the work and programs that have made the National Wildlife Federation a leading voice for youth leadership in climate education, policy and conservation in New York state.
Please donate to support our youth leaders and share this campaign with friends, family, educators, parents, and anyone else who may be able to help. No amount is too small! Tips are optional. And thank you very much!
Who Are We?
National Wildlife Federation is one of the nation’s oldest, non-partisan conservation organizations whose mission is to unite all Americans to ensure that both people and wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world. NWF offers comprehensive K-12 and post-secondary educational programs that engage students in real-world learning, problem-solving, climate resilience, and community action. We are committed to ensuring that climate solutions benefit everyone equitably, including historically disenfranchised, frontline, rural, and urban communities. Our education programs reach 7 million people annually. NWF continues to be the leading voice of conservation for people from all walks of life.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 10th December 2026 at 11:44am CST