UNL students brainstorm climate solutions for a shot at grant funding
Lincoln is one of 300 cities worldwide selected by Bloomberg Philanthropies for the Youth Climate Action Fund, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Office of Sustainability partnered with the City of Lincoln to help students take advantage of it.
More than 10 students attended Thursday’s design jam, an interactive session to brainstorm and develop project ideas to apply for the fund. If approved, groups made up of people ages 15-24 will receive a $1-5,000 grant to lead a climate solution project.
“This program amplifies the already incredible opportunity that UNL students have to make a meaningful impact in our community, and we hope that this event will inspire them to do so,” Morgan Hartman, sustainability manager with the Office of Sustainability, said.
The design jam offered a chance to learn about community issues the projects could address and to connect students to city staff, experts and other youth wanting to form a team.
“We’ve already had some really great conversations about students who are interested in applying for the fund, which has been really great,” Hartman said. “But this event is helping to bridge the gap and make connections with those students if they’re planning to do projects on our campus, helping to provide that context and connect them with stakeholders and resources that they’ll need to make their application ultimately successful.”
Students applying to the Youth Climate Action Fund must work in teams of two to four, and projects must fall under one of four categories: climate resilience, local food, waste reduction or transportation.
Hartman said these four focus areas closely align with UNL’s own sustainability goals, and she would like to see students submit ideas that would improve campus.
Jacki Petrow, a junior double-majoring in environmental studies and political science, is one of the students hoping to apply to the fund. She and her team are planning a community vegetable garden that could provide fresh food and host educational events.
For Petrow, giving youth a voice in environmentalism is necessary.
“We see our futures; we see the weather getting more extreme around us, and we see how things are changing, and that’s something that’s going to directly impact us,” she said. “It’s more of a lived reality for young people, and we kind of bring a sense of urgency to the table.”
Kim Morrow, chief sustainability officer for the City of Lincoln, said the fund gives students a low-stakes way to help address the global climate crisis.
“As climate change intensifies, extreme weather events are getting more frequent and more severe, and there’s a great need always to both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make our community more resilient to climate change,” Morrow said.
While her office typically works on large-scale initiatives, Morrow said smaller youth-led projects can serve as a testing ground.
“This might be a good time to try something out on a small scale,” she said. “And then maybe we want to implement it on a larger scale.”
Morrow said applicants do not need to have a deep understanding of the climate.
“We want people from all different backgrounds to come and bring their interests and passions and perspectives,” she said. “When it comes to climate and sustainability, there truly is a role for everybody, no matter what their background.”
Students interested in applying for the Youth Climate Action Fund have until Oct. 7. More information is available at lincoln.anny.gov/ycaf.