2024-25 Annual Report
INTRODUCTION
PREFACE
This was the City of Palo Alto Youth Climate Advisory Board’s (YCAB) inaugural year, and the 11 members on the Board worked tirelessly to establish frameworks that will benefit the Board for years to come. We’ve reached schools, community members, and even local agencies and businesses in our mission to advocate for youth voices on climate issues.
We are incredibly proud of the work we’ve accomplished, and as such, what follows is a report by each subcommittee on its accomplishments. We hope that this report will serve both as an update on what we’ve done this year and as a guideline for what youth in Palo Alto want and need when it comes to climate action. We hope that our efforts will help the City and others make more intentional decisions that reflect the needs of the next generation, taking steps to protect the city and planet that we will inherit.
Members
Aaron Nance
Aiden Miao
Anika Agrawal
Caitlin Hopkins
Donovan Carlson
Elsa Lagerblad
Maya Mazin
Jenna Mu
Laura Cheunkarndee
Kiara Yoon
Yuna Ng
Elsa Lagerblad
Head Chair
Aiden Miao
Vice Chair
Caitlin Hopkins
Vice Chair
ZERO WASTE SUBCOMMITTEE
Summary
The Zero Waste Subcommittee is focused on reducing waste produced by the City of Palo Alto, aligning with the Zero Waste category of the Palo Alto Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP). By increasing youth awareness of zero-waste strategies as well as developing concepts for new Zero Waste Ordinances and assisting in the implementation of preexisting ordinances, the Zero Waste Subcommittee hopes to foster a sense of responsibility toward waste reduction in our community.
Members
Maya Mazin
Jenna Mu
Laura Cheunkarndee
Kiara Yoon
Yuna Ng
Impact
●Raised youth awareness of Zero Waste
strategies and ordinances
●Created outlines for future projects and
developed relationships with local
organizations and schools
MAIN INITIATIVES
Fletcher Presentation
Presented to over 120 students at Ellen
Fletcher Middle School about the importance
of living sustainably and offered actionable
steps to help them incorporate zero-waste
practices into their lifestyles. Additionally,
introduced the students to the City’s S/CAP
and encouraged rising ninth graders to apply
for next year’s Board.
Zero Waste Ordinances
Received legislative resources from City staff
and met with Vice Mayor Veenker to build
upon policies for next year. Researched Zero
Waste ordinances and recommended concepts
for future ordinances that would support the
City’s Zero Waste goals. Obtained auditing
materials to help regulate and oversee actions
taken by local businesses for Zero Waste
ordinances.
Future Work
Drafted ideas for citywide events, including a
recycling art contest and mug-decorating
event that can be implemented next term.
Established relationships with local
organizations that will streamline
implementation next year.
WATER SUBCOMMITTEE
Summary
The Water Subcommittee focuses on sea-level rise policy and water conservation efforts in Palo Alto. Its members are developing youth workshops to highlight the value of water conservation and designing a civic journalism project to raise community awareness on sea level rise and its effects on residents
Members
Anika Agrawal
Donovan Carlson
Kiara Yoon
Impact
●Highlighted resident voices in the realm of
public water policy
●Learned about Palo Alto’s water policy and
spread awareness to youth
Future Work
This year we planned a rain barrel painting
workshop targeting water-related outreach to
youth. The goal was to raise awareness about
rainwater collection through hands-on
engagement by having youth paint the barrels
and then donating them to PAUSD schools. We
recommend that the Water Subcommittee
complete this project in the 2025-2026 term
and prioritizes building off previous workshop
ideas (e.g., drip water irrigation and watershed
protection).
Main Initiatives
Communication
Reached out to local nonprofit Save the Bay
as well as City staff who are experts on the
issue of water conservation. Learned about
active efforts to mitigate sea level rise and
the technologies Palo Alto uses to track
water usage. Received valuable information
on ongoing initiatives in the City (e.g., the
Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan).
Youth Workshops
Assisted with planning and preparing for a
succulent garden planting workshop at
Rinconada Library on June 14. Drafted
curriculum for City workshops aimed at
educating students about water
conservation and sustainability practices,
including a planned rain barrel painting
initiative for Palo Alto Unified School District
(PAUSD) schools.
Sea Level Rise Initiative
Met with city experts to discuss a sea level
rise project and revised approach to
prioritizing being informative, especially
through city resources. We will continue this
work during the remainder of our term by
synthesizing a graphic of the city’s current
efforts regarding sea level rise and joining
the city in talking with residents.
TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE
Summary
The Transportation Subcommittee aims to help youth and Palo Altans move through the City more sustainably. Current initiatives include studying micromobility (e.g., e-bike and e-scooter rentals), expanding bike infrastructure to support road safety, and demonstrating youth interest in public transit.
Our mission is to ensure that getting around Palo Alto is safer, smoother, and more sustainable for all.
Members
Aaron Nance
Aiden Miao
Caitlin Hopkins
Elsa Lagerblad
Jenna Mu
Impact
●Gathered data on youth interest in
public transportation from 10+ public
and private schools in Palo Alto, with
youth noting their appreciation for our
work toward better transportation
●Shared these insights with the City,
Santa Clara Valley Transportation
Authority (VTA), and PAUSD in hopes of
having youth voices be more
represented in the decisions made by
these groups
●Other goals include having more bike
and public transportation infrastructure
in South Palo Alto (around Henry M.
Gunn High School) and incorporating
public transit education into school
curricula
●Helped lay the foundation for
reactivating micromobility in Palo Alto
Main Initiatives
Youth Transit Survey
A major accomplishment of the Transportation
Subcommittee has been creating and executing
a survey that aimed to gauge the interest of Bay
Area youth in public transit. We distributed this
survey through school announcements, YCAB-
based events, and members’ networks to over
220 students from over 10 Palo Alto middle and
high schools. The survey data provided concrete
insight into the demand and necessity of
reactivating previously shut-down shuttles and
improving the shuttle accessibility.
Safe Streets for All Recommendation
The Transportation Subcommittee provided a
joint recommendation on the Safe Streets for
All and Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation
Plan. We drew on findings from the Youth
Transit Survey to suggest the implementation of
new Caltrain pedestrian and bike corridors.
Future Work
The Transportation Subcommittee collaborated
closely with City staff to analyze the need and
generate ideas for an e-bike and e-scooter rental
system in Palo Alto. We analyzed the City’s
previous micromobility attempts in 2013 and are
currently working to conduct a feasibility study
for Palo Alto. We recommend that the
Transportation Subcommittee continues to
prioritize this project in the 2025–2026 term.
MEDIA SUBCOMMITTEE
Summary
The Media Subcommittee works to engage with the Palo Alto community, particularly youth, through social media and printed infographics. We aim to facilitate communication and collaboration with the City on YCAB’s goals. We organized the YCAB Earth Day Festival table and are currently developing content for the City website to promote YCAB’s initiatives and increase youth engagement.
Members
Donovan Carlson
Laura Cheunkarndee
Maya Mazin
Yuna Ng
Kiara Yoon
Impact
●Created media to accompany YCAB
initiatives to raise environmental
awareness
●Developed a unique aesthetic for YCAB
Future Work
We recommend that in the 2025-2026 term,
the Media Subcommittee work with the City to
create an editorial calendar for YCAB media,
which may include photos of the YCAB Board,
videos highlighting subcommittee initiatives,
member testimonies, and sustainable actions
and topics for teens to get more involved in
sustainability and climate action. We also
recommend continuing to collaborate with
other subcommittees to promote
subcommittee-specific initiatives.
Main Initiatives
YCAB Earth Day Festival Fliers
Designed fliers to promote public engagement,
spread the word about YCAB applications, and
help the Transportation Subcommittee reach a
broader pool of respondents for their Youth
Transit Survey. Communicated with the City
about organizing the Earth Day Festival.
Baylands Coloring Sheet
Designed a themed coloring sheet for kids with
fun facts about biodiversity in the Baylands,
environmentally friendly recreation in the city,
and landmark sustainability initiatives in Palo
Alto to educate youth on the importance of
climate stewardship and boost enthusiasm for
sustainability efforts in Palo Alto.
YCAB Website
Organized photos and bios of YCAB members
to display on the City website.