Rising Environmental Youth Leaders
This program is no longer being offered, but is being served by our other youth programs - see current offerings >>
What is Rising Environmental Youth Leaders?
Rising Environmental Youth Leaders (REYL) is a climate change and youth leadership program for high school students who are interested in getting outside and taking action to protect the environment and their communities. Students receive training in environmental science and leadership skills, and opportunities to connect to their local environment and to a diverse cohort of peers. The program promotes equity and inclusion in our public lands by creating a pathway for leadership and connection.
During this program, students will receive support and training to design and implement a Community Action Project to create climate change awareness in their local communities. Students will assist with service projects, learn about climate change effects and solutions and take field trips to parks throughout Marin County.
Highlights from REYL 2020-21
In its pilot year, REYL connected a diverse cohort of 12 high school students from six different schools around Marin County to each other, their local parks and public lands. These youth learned about sea level rise, fire ecology, climate change, leadership skills, environmental justice, and community activism. Several highlights include, among many others:
- Storytelling training with partner Drawdown Marin and public speaking workshops with One Tam staff
- Community science training with the One Tam community science team
- Mid-year virtual retreat involving team building, art creation, learning how to effectively communicate about climate change, workshopping their community action projects
- Students learned about different forms of leadership through community activism and were introduced to the four principles of social justice and learned about environmental justice history and principles
- All students developed community action projects to increase climate change awareness in their communities; their goal was to reach at least 100 people each!
- Two in-person meetings following COVID-19 safety protocols
- Youth mentorship by One Tam partner staff throughout the year
View 2020-21 Cohort Projects
As Rising Environmental Youth Leaders the students’ goal was to create climate change awareness in their community. REYL participants had the opportunity to design and implement a Community Action Project grounded in their individual community needs. They worked closely with a mentor and REYL staff to help design and implement their projects. Students had the option to choose an existing community project working towards addressing climate change in their community, learn to become a storyteller or community advocate, or propose their individual community project. Students also had opportunities to present their projects and receive feedback.
See a selection of this year's community action projects below:
- Sea Level Rise Community Survey Project by Wambua
- Urban Garden Project by Kvothe
