Session 7: Youth Action Planning

In this session, the Climate Impact Innovators had the opportunity to channel their passion for the environment and their community, into creating a community engagement action plan. This past month, the Southwest Santa Rosa HEAT Project launched a community-wide extreme heat survey designed to understand local heat experiences and the youth are leading efforts on the ground to promote the survey.

Working in small groups, the youth brainstormed innovative and community-based approaches to promote the survey to their friends, family, and community. Each youth committed to reaching out to at least ten people about the survey, with the goal of collecting approximately 100 survey responses directly related to youth outreach by the end of the program in May 2026. 

Understanding the importance of community engagement and the power of collective youth action, this session was critical in ensuring that youth are directly influencing the development of the HEAT Action Plan.