- Omaha joins Bloomberg Philanthropies' Youth Climate Action Fund, one of 300 cities selected to receive funding and technical assistance for youth-led climate action.
- Young people can compete for a share of $50,000 by pitching climate-focused ideas through innovation competitions hosted by the city.
- Applications are open through September 8 at 4 p.m. on the Mayor's website.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Omaha is one of 300 cities selected to receive funding and technical assistance through Bloomberg Philanthropies' Youth Climate Action Fund, a program aimed at sparking youth-led climate action.
The city will host innovation competitions giving young people the opportunity to pitch their ideas, with the strongest proposals receiving a share of $50,000 in funding.
Mayor John Ewing Jr. announced Omaha's selection in July.
Dakota Caldwell, a grant assistant with the City of Omaha, said the program is about more than funding.
"We just want to make sure that the youth not only see the impact that they can and are able to make, but also that they feel like it's part of a collective effort within the city," Caldwell said.
Elkhorn North High School senior Drona Jayanti serves on the Mayor's Youth Council and said he saw the program as a chance to make a personal difference.
"I thought this was a good cause, and I just wanted to see what I could do personally to help," Jayanti said.
Among the ideas young participants are exploring is expanding access to green spaces. Studies from organizations including the National Environmental Education Foundation show that access to green spaces reduces violent crime and property theft.
Young people involved in Bloomberg Philanthropies' Youth Climate Action Fund have already made measurable progress. So far, participants have planted more than 1.8 million plants and 235,000 trees.
Jayanti said he believes many young people want to act on climate change but lack a clear path forward.
"I think a lot of people believe in changing the world for the better and want to stop climate change. But I just don't think a lot of people have direction or a sense of, like, what they can do to help," Jayanti said.
Applications are available on the Mayor's website through Sept. 8 at 4 p.m.
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