UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The latest episode of the "Growing Impact" podcast explores how the younger generation is getting involved in climate research and policy. As the world wrestles with climate change and its impacts, there is growing interest in addressing climate change among the younger generation. In support of this desire of young people to engage, a new lab at Penn State, the Global Youth Storytelling and Research Lab, aims to become a pivotal transnational research hub, empowering young leaders to shape the future of climate and environmental justice.
“For future leaders in climate and environmental justice, it's really important that the people who are leading in this space are able to talk across boundaries, whether that's the boundaries that exist in our U.S. national context or across a global scale,” said Mark Ortiz, presidential postdoctoral scholar and incoming assistant professor of geography. “Climate justice is fundamentally a global problem and requires global collaboration.”
Ortiz said that youth advocates often indicate there are multiple barriers that thwart them from doing research and policy work in the climate space, particularly in communities that are most impacted by climate change.
“Research alone is incredibly valuable, but when coupled with the commitments that our lab has to accessibility, accountability, and community engagement — when that's baked in from the start, I think it's a formula for success,” Ortiz said.
Rasha Elwakil is an undergraduate student in the Global Youth Storytelling and Research Lab. She said that the promotion of youth advocacy is crucial because the younger generation will become the leaders of tomorrow.
“We share stories so that we can learn about each other and use this knowledge from each other to create solutions that will make tomorrow better for everyone,” Elwakil said.
Ortiz said that it is still a somewhat marginal concept that youth leadership should be involved in how research is designed and executed, specifically on topics such as on climate and sustainable development. That is something the Global Youth Storytelling and Research Lab would like to address.
"Growing Impact" is a podcast by the Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE). It features Penn State researchers who have been awarded IEE seed grants and discusses their foundational work as they further their projects. The podcast is available on multiple platforms, including YouTube, Apple, Google, Amazon and Spotify.