
Youth vs Apocalypse (YVA)
An Oakland-based diverse group of young climate justice activists (elementary through college) lifting the voices of youth of color and working-class youth in the climate movement. They gained prominence when middle-schooler members pushed Senator Dianne Feinstein on the Green New Deal in a viral 2019 video.
Youth volunteers join YVA crews to plan school strikes and street rallies demanding an end to fossil fuels (e.g. campaigns like #NoCoalInOakland), create hip-hop and art centered on climate justice for YVA’s cultural programs, and pressure local officials and corporations (as they did successfully to stop a proposed coal terminal in West Oakland). Adult allies can volunteer as chaperones, provide training or transportation, and amplify youth demands without taking the microphone.