The Howard County Conservancy’s Youth Climate Institute (YCI) is proud to share that they are an American Climate Leadership Awards finalist. The award will help YCI engage students in climate education and action across the United States.
YCI is a high school program that combines climate education and action to prepare students to become effective environmental stewards, pursue green jobs and combat the climate crisis. YCI began in 2020 and has worked with more than 1,000 students through 55 active chapters in 11 states.
“We’re grateful to ecoAmerica for recognizing the inspiring work of our climate ambassadors.” said Meg Boyd, YCI Executive Director. “This award reinforces the importance of engaging students in climate action and recognizing them for their success. These funds will help us continue our nationwide growth and reach more communities across the country.”
The ACLA is an initiative of ecoAmerica that recognizes a nationwide group of leaders and awards finalists more than $200,000 to scale their work, representing sectors including agriculture, health, faith communities, civic networks, and youth movements.
“It has been amazing to see the passion Youth Climate Institute students exhibit in caring for the environment and in fighting to raise awareness about climate change and what small steps we can all do to combat it,” says Suzanne Hughes, Chapter Leader at Reservoir High School in Howard County, Maryland. ”The energy and creative solutions these students bring to the table give me hope that they will be the ones to help solve the climate crisis going forward.”
YCI also recently received support from the National Geographic Society to support student-driven climate action across the United States in March and a donation from Billie Eilish’s Changemaker Program last year.
YCI is using funds from this ACLA award to provide funds to new chapters to support action projects in their communities! For information on starting or joining a chapter of the Youth Climate Institute in your area contact info@youthclimateleader.org or go to https://youthclimateleader.org/for-chapters/
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About the American Climate Leadership Awards
Since 2019, ecoAmerica’s American Climate Leadership Awards (ACLA) has recognized 200 climate leaders and awarded $1.2 million to individuals and organizations that are activating broader participation in climate solutions. ACLA advances successful climate action and advocacy with financial awards, public recognition, and guides for others to replicate the finalists’ winning work. In 2026, ACLA will award more than $200,000 to over 30 individuals and organizations for inspirational work in their communities and across the nation.
About ecoAmerica
ecoAmerica is a nonprofit organization that moves society toward climate solutions by engaging and supporting trusted national institutions to inspire and empower their millions of members in local communities across America to visibly act and advocate for ambitious, just, climate mitigation, resilience, and restoration.
About the Youth Climate Institute
The Youth Climate Institute (YCI) empowers and educates the next generation of climate leaders about climate science, environmental justice, and real world solutions. It’s an extracurricular certification program that combines environmental education and hands-on community action to give students the tools to become effective stewards of their local environment and pursue green careers. Learn more about YCI at https://youthclimateleader.org/
YCI is a program of the Howard County Conservancy, a 35-year old environmental education center and nature preserve, which connects more than 20,000 people to nature each year. The mission of the Howard County Conservancy is to educate children and adults about our natural world, preserve the land and its legacy for future generations and model responsible stewardship of our environment. Learn more about the Conservancy at https://www.howardnature.org/
For media inquiries, please contact Gabby Rose at gabby.rose@howardnature.org.
