Welcome to the Climate Action Challenge!

The City of Flagstaff Sustainability Program supports community climate action through the Climate Action Challenge, a project-based service-learning program for Flagstaff youth, during which they:

  • Plan and implement a meaningful climate-related project
  • Engage in community outreach and service
  • Develop leadership skills

The Climate Action Challenge is an ideal opportunity for youth to build capacity for climate action in their neighborhoods, schools, and communities.

Albert Earth

Participation

To participate in the Climate Action Challenge, you must be in 4th to 12th grade and part of an Action Team of 2 or more youth. Action Teams can be formed as part of a class, a school-affiliated group (e.g, student council, after school club, national honor society), a home school group, or a community group (e.g, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boy or Girl Scout troop, recreation center group, church youth group). Action teams ideally should have no more than 5 members so that each member has responsibility in the project development and implementation. However, larger Action Teams can still participate (Teams should not exceed 20 youth)! Action Teams can be new groups formed just for the Challenge or already existing groups.

Note: Action Teams greater than 5 members presenting at the Flagstaff Youth Climate Summit will be limited to 5 attending representatives due to facility capacity.

Register for the Climate Action Challenge.

Timeline

Registration for participating in the Climate Action Challenge runs from mid-November to mid-January. As soon as a Team is signed up, they can begin planning and implementing their project. The Climate Action Challenge project should be conducted through spring 2019 and culminate in a project presentation at either the Flagstaff Youth Climate Summit in April or, for Teams unable to attend the Summit, an in-class presentation to visiting Sustainability Program staff. In-class presentations must be conducted by the end of the spring semester in mid- to late-May.

Materials

Two important documents you need to download and review if you are participating in the Climate Action Challenge are the:

  • Climate Action Challenge Participant Guide (PDF): This short document details Challenge guidelines, from registering to presenting.
  • Climate Action Challenge Toolkit (PDF): This longer document outlines an 8-step process for brainstorming, designing, planing, and implementing your Challenge project. There are helpful resources for learning about local climate change impacts in Flagstaff and Coconino County, basic climate change science, and examples of youth climate leaders, events, and projects.
  • Climate Action Challenge Scoring Rubric (PDF): Judges at the Flagstaff Youth Climate Summit will use this rubric to score Teams, both on their project content and presentation. This is also great for educators looking to evaluate their students' projects.
  • Action Team Project Ideas (PDF): If you are stuck on ideas or need some brainstorming help, check out this document for project ideas. But don't let this document stifle your creativity-take the ideas and make them your own!
  • Photo Consent, Participation, Liability Release Form (PDF): All youth participating in the Flagstaff Youth Climate Summit are required to complete this release waiver. The waiver is due April 5.

Teachers

Are you an educator interested in involving your entire class in climate action? We encourage you to following all participation guidelines and use the Climate Action Challenge Toolkit to guide your students through a meaningful climate action project. The Climate Action Challenge Scoring Rubric (included in the Participant Guide) can be used to evaluate your class's project. If you wish to have your class present at the Flagstaff Youth Climate Summit, your class will be limited to 5 student representatives due to facility capacity.

Have questions about the Climate Action Challenge? Please contact:
Jillian Goulet
Community Resilience VISTA, City of Flagstaff Sustainability Program
Email Jillian Goulet
Phone: 928-213-2156

Flagstaff Youth Climate Summit

Flagstaff Youth Climate Summit

The Flagstaff Youth Climate Summit is a one-day gathering in April at The Arboretum of Flagstaff that brings together young climate leaders, and serve as the culminating event of the Solar Structure Challenge. The Summit includes project presentations from participants in the Climate Action Challenge, the KidWind Challenge, and the Solar Structure Challenge.

The Summit will include:

  • Chances to tackle one of the world's most pressing problems with other Flagstaff and Coconino County youth climate leaders
  • Exposure to wind and solar energy engineering projects
  • A keynote speaker and panel discussion
  • Leadership and sustainability workshops
  • Project evaluations and award presentations
  • And fun!

The Summit is a collaborative effort among the City of Flagstaff Sustainability Program, The Arboretum at Flagstaff, and Willow Bend Environmental Education Center.

More information about the Flagstaff Youth Climate Summit.