“I didn’t realize that caring for the land and caring about climate justice and people are so connected.”
Emma Coopersmith, 2023 Y-WE Grow Intern
Y-WE’s community of belonging fosters an environment of support, where young people lean on peers and mentors who, in Emma’s words, “get it.” Today, we’re excited to share a snapshot of the impact of Y-WE Grow, spoken by a former youth participant, Emma:
On the surface, Y-WE’s outdoor programming – Y-WE Grow and Nature Connections – offer youth powerful environmental learning and action for justice while having empowering experiences in the natural world.
And below the surface, like the germination of seed in soil, our invisible work is creating space for young people to access joy, healing, health, embodiment, and community in reciprocal relationship with our environment.
Video Transcript:
Emma Coopersmith (she/her): I have the absolute joy and honor of being mentored by such cool people. I feel like I get to learn so much from my peers. And it’s not only about the serious things in the world and about the solutions and adapting to those things. It’s also just like getting to have fun and make connections with people who get it and get that it’s hard to be alive in this world that is threatened by so many crises and so many layers of injustice. It’s so much easier to just be when there are people around who get it.