Youth Action Council
The Quick Facts
Who?
The Youth Action Council (YAC) is open to young adults 18+ who are interested in being involved in the climate space. The Youth Action Council is designed for young adults who want to start engaging in climate action but aren’t sure where to begin or what to do next. TCI welcomes both applicants who are established in the climate space AND those who are new and trying to find their way into the climate space. Youth Advisory Council members will meet both the members of their own cohort, as well as members of the prior and the upcoming cohorts. This allows for networking with individuals who are in different stages of their academic, professional, and activist careers.
What?
The Youth Action Council is a 2-year long voluntary commitment for young adults who want to engage in climate action! What Youth Action Council members do during their 2 years will vary from individual to individual. Because the program is designed for individuals who are independently motivated, it is a 50/50 mix of working with other youth through TCI and experimenting with your own ideas for what climate action can look like. YAC members can work together, use each other as soundboards, ask for opinions, share resources and build comradery. YAC members also help with TCI’s mission: Educate, Empower, and Activate. These are some of the activities that YAC members can expect to participate in over the course of their tenure.
- Educate:
- Creating educational social media content: YAC members typically have their niche that they are knowledgeable about- we want to share the wealth of information that YAC members have and talk about issues that are important to you AND you are knowledgeable about.
- Researching, gathering and amplifying resources to share with larger climate space. So many tools within the climate space exist and they aren’t shared or amplified.
- Empower
- Engaging TCI Ambassadors: Weekly Prompts to keep WhatsApp Group alive and engaging, Social Media Content, Hosting Webinars on topics of their choosing.
- Calls for Speakers- when organizations ask us if we have youth speakers, we tap into the YAC
- Activate
- Help us host our Climate Action Leadership Program in partnership with other organizations virtually to youth around the US.
- Connecting fellow YAC members and TCI with potential opportunities to get involved- conferences, speaking opportunities, calls for art, job openings, etc.
When?
Applications are open at the end of the year, with new applicants onboarding at the beginning of the following year. Applications are NOT open or accepted before the application window has been announced.
The Youth Action Council meets on average twice a month. It meets typically every other week with flexibility during the beginning and end of the semester, and holidays. Attendance is mandatory, with a maximum of 5 missed meetings per year before removal from the program.
Where?
Youth Action Council members can be anywhere in the United States! Meetings are held virtually, YAC members are connected through online communication and meetings. Meet
Why?
Youth Action Council members are people who care about the environment and really want to connect with other people who ALSO care about the environment. The climate space can sometimes feel isolating, and it can be intimidating to connect with others who do so much great work! Our Youth Action Council aims to make it easier to network, make friends, and connect with other like-minded people! We want to provide another avenue for young people to be able to build out like minded social and professional networks.