The Estuary Youth Council brings together young people ages 17 to 24 from disinvested communities around the San Francisco Estuary to develop the next generation of environmental leaders. Nuestra Casa serves on the Advisory Committee alongside Mycelium Youth Network and Restore the Delta, working in close partnership with San Francisco Estuary Partnership to guide this program. Through the six-month program, participants explore restored wetlands in cities like East Palo Alto and learn how these marshes protect their communities from sea level rise and flooding. In East Palo Alto, about 60% of residents could face flooding by mid-century. Youth Council members complete hands-on capstone projects, including educational videos about flood preparation and zines about climate change impacts, ensuring young people have a voice in environmental decisions that will shape their communities’ futures. The KneeDeep Times article by Juan Palo Pérez-Burgos – Who Will Inherit the Estuary? Training for a Rough Future – goes into detail about this program.
