Dayton Teens Get $50K to Fund Their Climate Solutions

Dayton just became one of 300 cities worldwide chosen to put serious funding directly into the hands of young climate activists.

Through Bloomberg Philanthropies' Youth Climate Action Fund, the Ohio city will distribute $50,000 in grants to teens and young adults who have ideas for making their community more sustainable. Individual projects can receive anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000, and the only requirement is that young people between ages 15 and 24 lead the charge.

Lela Klein from Dayton's Office of Sustainability is leading the program locally. She's clear about the city's philosophy: trust young people to know what their community needs.

"We believe that young people have innovative solutions," Klein said. "They know what the community needs. They're often the closest to some of the problems, and so we really want to trust the expertise of our youth."

The timing couldn't be better. Dayton is drafting a new sustainability plan this year, and city officials plan to incorporate ideas from these youth proposals directly into their strategy.

Young applicants need support from a local nonprofit, but the ideas must be their own. Urban gardens, tree plantings, and litter reduction programs all qualify, though Klein emphasized the city doesn't want to limit anyone's creativity.

The Ripple Effect

This initiative hands decision-making power to the generation that will live longest with climate consequences. When cities listen to young voices now, they build environmental strategies that actually reflect future needs.

Dayton students already showed their commitment earlier this year when Dunbar High School teens planted native trees at Highview Hills Park. Now those same students and hundreds of others across the city can pitch their own solutions and receive real funding to make them happen.

If this first round succeeds, Dayton could unlock another $50,000 for additional projects. Three other Ohio cities joined the initiative this year: Akron, Cincinnati, and Oberlin.

Applications open August 17 and close October 2. The city plans information sessions before then to help young people develop their proposals.

Mayor Shenise Turner-Sloss called it "an incredible opportunity" that gives Dayton's youth "real power to create meaningful change in their own community."

From idea to funded project in just a few months, Dayton's young people are about to show their city what the future of climate action looks like.