Youth Day of Action in Albany

TTPW Youth Activist Sofia Leder’s poem: Why We Fight

For three years running, Transition Town Port Washington youth activists have traveled to Albany to stand alongside students from across New York State at the TREEage/New York Renews Youth Day of Action — and each year, our delegation and the movement have grown. What began with six TTPW students joining 350 peers has grown to a delegation of ten joining 1,000 youth activists from across the state, all raising their voices for bold climate action.

Our youth have rallied at the Capitol, heard from state leaders including Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, and met directly with legislators to advocate for meaningful climate policy. Their efforts have supported the Climate, Jobs, and Justice Package, which helped pave the way for New York's landmark Climate Superfund Act — signed into law and expected to generate $3 billion in climate adaptation and mitigation funding by requiring major corporate polluters to help pay for the costs of extreme weather. They've championed the Solar on Schools bill, a $500 million push to bring solar and geothermal energy to schools statewide; fought to keep climate justice and resiliency funding in the state budget; pushed for Cap and Invest to hold polluters accountable while investing in sustainable communities; and lobbied to defend the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act from rollback.

We are incredibly proud of our youth activists for the passion, dedication, and confidence they bring to Albany each year. They speak with conviction, articulate the urgency of climate action with a strong moral compass, and show us — again and again — that they are the leaders of tomorrow.