Regional Capacity Building
About the Estuary Youth Council
Recognizing that the Estuary will be inherited by generations yet to come, the San Francisco Estuary Partnership believes that young people should be empowered to advise how this complex system is managed and will benefit their future.
In partnership with community-based organizations from across the region, the San Francisco Estuary Partnership will pilot a leadership and professional development program called the Estuary Youth Council (EYC).
The Estuary Youth Council has two main goals:
- Provide professional development opportunities to emerging environmental leaders from underrepresented and underserved communities in the San Francisco Estuary watershed; and
- Advise environmental managers, planners, and decision-makers by filling existing knowledge gaps of youth-centered perspectives, concerns, and priorities in the restoration and adaptation of the San Francisco Estuary.
Partner Organizations
Mycelium Youth Network
Mycelium Youth Network (MYN) is a pioneering San Francisco Bay Area youth-centered organization founded in 2017. Our organization is dedicated to bridging the gap between increasing climate-related disasters, systemic environmental racism negatively impacting the health of low income and communities of color, and the abilities of young people to proactively improve the climate resilience and health of their communities. MYN is a leader in youth-led climate resilience and community health infrastructural programming. Our three major programs run in schools throughout the Bay Area: Climate Resilient Schools (CRS), Youth Leadership Council (YLC), and Gaming for Justice (G4J). Our work has served over 3,000 Bay Area youth across all three of our programming areas over the last 5 years.
Learn more about Mycelium Youth Network.
Nuestra Casa
Nuestra Casa exists to uplift Latino families in East Palo Alto and the mid-peninsula through community education, leadership development, and advocacy. We envision a vibrant mid-peninsula community united around shared values, where every resident thrives—no matter where they live. Through civic engagement activities and collaborative community action, our families in East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, and North Fair Oaks are paving the road for other generations to follow.
We started as a small grassroots organization in 2002, created to serve the needs of the emerging Latino population in East Palo Alto. Early programming included our Parent Academy and English Language Program. With the support and collaboration of local funders and partners, these programs continue today, along with many more like our Housing and Environmental Justice programs. Our reach also extends beyond East Palo Alto to Belle Haven, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City. But one thing remains the same – we are an organization “of the community, by the community, for the community.” We firmly believe that our community members have the solutions to the challenges they face. Our job is to create safe spaces for community members to develop concrete solutions and open doors for them to reach decision-makers.
Learn more about Nuestra Casa.
Restore the Delta
Restore the Delta’s mission is to ensure the health of the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary and Delta communities. Established in Stockton in 2006, Restore the Delta is a grassroots campaign of residents and organizations committed to restoring the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta so that fisheries, communities, and family farming can thrive there together again; so that water quality is protected for all communities, particularly environmental justice communities; and so that Delta environmental justice communities are protected from flood and drought impacts resulting from climate change while gaining improved public access to clean waterways.
Learn more about Restore the Delta.
