Fostering Youth-Led Climate Action: Insights from City-Level Program Directors

Introduction: Millions of students around the world mobilized school strikes for climate. and scholars have begun to explore how governments can involve youth in decision making around climate policy. Research is lacking on how governments can support young people leading climate action in their own communities.

Method: This qualitative study draws from six 1-hour semi-structured interviews with city government administrators who implemented a program funding youth-led climate action projects across six U.S. cities. Cities were given funding by a private foundation, and subsequently provided micro-grants of $5,000 to 15-20 projects in their cities led by youth (ages 15-24), often supervised by an adult mentor from a community organization.

Interviews were analyzed using Thematic Analysis, guided by Sociopolitical Development (SPD) theory and ecosocial work frameworks. SPD conceptualizes youth civic development as a non-linear process in which young people build critical awareness, agency, and take anti-oppressive action, while ecosocial work emphasizes social workers’ role in empowering and working alongside community members to promote human dignity and wellbeing.

Findings: Findings show the critical role that city Program Directors play in shaping youths’ sociopolitical development and in each project’s outcomes.

First, meaningful youth-led participation required Program Directors to provide individualized scaffolding across all stages of the program. Program Directors reported that youth needed support with professional skills, ranging from writing their grant applications to project management. Program Directors reported that these efforts increased socioeconomic, age, and racial and ethnic diversity of youth applying to the program.

Second, directors described a tension between wanting to let youth lead, and meeting program milestones and ensuring project quality. Although youth were officially leading their projects, Program Directors often had to intervene to make sure projects were feasible and to assist with their completion. Several Program Directors hired college interns to help interface with youth program participants, which they reported helped to mitigate some of the power dynamics and increased youth sense of support from government.

Third, Program Directors described how the program had a positive impact on their own careers and on growing government and community collaboration. Directors reported building meaningful and sustained relationships with schools, community-based organizations, and other local and state-level government agencies through the program. Program Directors described feeling empowered to bring youth as decision-makers into other areas of city government, building on their newfound experience working with youth.

Finally, Program Directors reported that the program fostered youths’ civic agency and trust in government, particularly when youth saw tangible impacts of their projects. One effective practice used by Program Directors was a final celebration event where youth could showcase their projects with local government leaders and community members.

Implications: Youth-led, community-based climate projects supported by local governments can positively shape youth civic awareness, agency, and action, but Program Directors must balance youth leadership with scaffolded support, mentorship, and community connections. Implications for social work include advancing ecosocial approaches that center youth voice, redistribute decision-making power, and create sustained pathways for youth engagement in local governments around climate and environmental policy.