Sonoma County education program marks 2nd year as students embark on yearlong environmental justice projects

Dozens of middle school and high school students across Sonoma County are embarking on a series of yearlong projects to explore solutions to local issues with environmental and social roots.

About 80 students, accompanied by teachers, Sonoma County Office of Education officials and social rights activists, met Thursday at Andy Lopez Unity Park in Santa Rosa to launch the student-led projects.

Participating students came from Analy High, Rancho Cotate, Petaluma, Windsor, Maria Carrillo, and Technology high schools, as well as Willowside Middle School.

The students were grouped into teams of four to six, depending on which school they attend. Each team will pick a local environmental justice issue to tackle with their peers, and will meet on their own time, biweekly, to work on their projects.

“We need to have some sense of urgency,” said Grace Boothby, 17, a Petaluma High student. “Other generations have put the weight of climate change on us, and we have the responsibility to fix it. It’s important that we start early.”

The program, in its second year, is meant to guide students to a better understanding of environmental justice and how they can make tangible change within their communities.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines environmental justice as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.”

The movement has gained traction nationally and locally over the last few years, as seen in the recent demonstrations for farmworker protection within the county.

The projects will focus on a variety of topics. Two from last year included decreasing pesticide use and reducing the risk of wildfires.

Office of Education officials and teachers from each of the campuses lead instruction.

Near the end of the school year, in mid-April, each team will present their project to the public. Grants of up to $1,000, offered by the Office of Education, will be available for teams that wish to continue their efforts beyond the school year.

“It’s hard for students to make change on their own, but this gives us the opportunity to,” Windsor High School’s Camden Veres, 17, said. This is her second year participating in the coalition.

“Just because we’re young, it’s not OK to ignore our voices,” she added.

Matt O’Donnell, a curriculum specialist with the Office of Education and former history teacher, kicked off the meeting with an acknowledgment of local Indigenous heritage and territory, and a recognition of the significance of the park, a memorial for 13-year-old Andy Lopez, a middle school student who was shot and killed by a Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputy in 2013.

O’Donnell spearheaded the creation of the coalition in the spring of 2021. The number of teams participating has increased from 7 last year to 11 this year.

O’Donnell said the program originated from a request by Superintendent of Schools Steve Herrington: start a project dedicated to environmental issues in the county. O’Donnell suggested that they combine those issues with social justice efforts, creating a student-led environmental justice program that supports teens in making beneficial change in their communities.

“It feels like a good way to make change. My mom has done a lot in the community and I’d like to follow in her footsteps,” Maya Bowden, 14, a student at Windsor High, said.

Keynote speakers at the meeting included Sonoma County Supervisor Chris Coursey and Bay Area-based educator and social justice advocate Milton Reynolds.

“If we have a shared sense of purpose, we can move mountains,” Reynolds told the teens.

Students queried the speakers for advice about being open to new ideas and working well with people of opposing viewpoints.

“I’m just so excited to see students motivated enough to give up their free time to try and make a difference,” O’Donnell said.

Natasza Jurczykowska, 14, a transfer student from Poland who is studying at Windsor High School, said she chose to get involved in the coalition during her yearlong visit because she wants to learn more about the community.

“I can actually make a change here and I just want to get involved,” she said.

The aim of the program, O’Donnell said, is twofold: to empower the next generation of leaders with local projects that can ideally make a real-world difference in their communities.

“Environmental justice is an undervalued topic, and in California, we really feel the effects,” said Rancho Cotate student Caze Derammelaere, 17.

The county office funds the program, at $50,000 annually, but to continue next year, O’Donnell said they will likely have to reach out for grants.

Participants will be eligible for the State Seal of Civic Engagement and will also earn an Environmental Scholars Certificate.

Kylie Lawrence can be reached at kylie.lawrence@pressdemocrat.com.