Jewish Youth Climate Movement’s Climate Activism Institute
With support from Earth Rising, The Jewish Youth Climate Movement (JYCM) – a Gen Z-led movement dedicated to combating climate change and environmental injustice from a Jewish lens – recently brought together 38 teen leaders from across the United States for their inaugural Climate Activism Institute and Shabbaton retreat in Maryland.
The Jewish Youth Climate Movement’s goal is to empower the next generation of Jewish youth to be leaders in the fight to build a sustainable and equitable world for all. JYCM’s week-long Climate Activism Institute embodied this vision by bringing together JYCM teen leaders to facilitate climate justice workshops and programs, taking a deep dive into topics such as Judaism and the Environment, Equity & Inclusion, Transformative Justice, and Organizing 101.
After learning about power-building strategies and the intersections of environmental justice, attendees headed to the Capitol to translate their advocacy skills into action, taking to the streets outside the White House in an organized protest calling upon President Biden to continue the momentum of the Inflation Reduction Act’s passage by declaring a climate emergency.
The Climate Activism Institute was also an opportunity for JYCM teens from Kvutzot (chapters) across the nation to connect and build community both within the organization and externally in the greater environmental movement. In addition to a week of team-building activities, attendees spent a day in Baltimore completing service learning projects with local partners including Repair the World, Friends of the Jones Falls, Black Yield Institute, and Blue Water Baltimore.
At the end of the week, JYCM teens, college fellows, and staff in attendance joined together to envision the future of their movement and strategize for the following year. Earth Rising is proud to support The Jewish Youth Climate Movement’s young leaders fighting for a sustainable, equitable world for all, and we look forward to watching the impact of the Institute reverberate through the coming year.
More information about The Jewish Youth Climate Movement can be found here.