CHOICES 1st Environmental Justice Youth Summit

Recap of the Environmental Justice Youth Summit

CHOICES and CRCQL’s first Environmental Justice Youth Summit was a success! Our young leaders demonstrated exceptional dedication and creativity as they educated attendees on critical topics like pollution, recycling, composting, and reducing plastic waste.

C4 members, Serafia, Maya, and Tunde created an engaging Zero Waste icebreaker. Carl from Climate Action, PA, and Rehana from UPenn shared their expertise, while Jermaine from Ruth L. Bennett Farm also brought a wealth of knowledge to the summit.

This summit was also used as a platform for our young leaders to showcase their approach to environmental justice. CHOICES debuted their environmental justice music video for the song Through the Smoke , created in collaboration with the talented artist Wudxa. This captivating video utilized the unique storytelling skills of CHOICES members to keep the audience engaged and informed about the environmental struggles in the city of Chester.

One of the standout moments of the event was a presentation by CHOICES member, Yashvi on how AI and animation can be harnessed to convey powerful environmental justice messages. Yashvi shared insights about their YouTube cartoon titled Young Plastic Fighters. Our young leaders are leading the charge in employing technology to foster awareness and drive action, showcasing that the potential for environmental advocacy is boundless.

This summit was a total success, thanks to the hard work and enthusiasm of everyone involved. Thanks to our CRCQL members: Ms. Bonita Taylor, Sr. Joyce, Ms. Carol Swingle, Ms. Margaret, Ms. Shiela, Ms. Stephanie, Chef Lamont Harris, Will Jones, Ms. Rose, and David & Patricia Kronheim. Their contributions were invaluable! And to Dahkeem Williams for always showing up with the camera!

A heartfelt shoutout goes to our dedicated Choices parents: Ms. Sylvia Richbow, Ms. Rebekah Tiffany, Ms. Trina, Ms. Toya, and Mr. Elan. Their unwavering support and involvement are deeply appreciated.

We also extend our gratitude to Ms. Dominique Delva from Chester Education Foundation, Mr. Keith from the YMCA Chester County, and Brian Mills of Brian Mills Art for providing the wonderful t-shirts.

Finally, a warm thank you to our CHOICES members: Terreona, Adriel, Rie, CJ, T Bacon, Javonte, Jalen, Hakim, Kaylan, Karan, and Kamron. Their energy and commitment were truly inspiring.

We can not wait to host another Environmental Justice Youth Summit next year and to make it bigger and better!