District 1 Youth Advisory Board empowers youth and advocates for environmental justice

On Aug. 24 at Iglesia La Luz Del Mundo in North Bay Shore, the District 1 Youth Advisory Board hosted its largest Youth Day Celebration to date, donating over 1,300 backpacks filled with school supplies, marking the biggest giveaway in their three-year history.

The event was organized entirely by people 22 years old and younger from the Brentwood, Bay Shore, and Central Islip community.

The District 1 Youth Advisory Board was founded to empower young people in historically marginalized Brentwood, Central Islip, and North Bay Shore to take an active role in shaping their communities. The Board regularly hosts Youth Town Hall meetings, which bridge the gap between elected officials in government and young people.

In addition to the Youth Advisory Board backpack giveaway, Laborers Local Union 66 also donated 535 backpacks and school supplies at the Youth Day Celebration, further equipping local students with the tools they need to succeed in the upcoming school year.

While passing out backpacks to local students, the Youth Advisory Board’s pride in their community was evident.

“Everywhere we go, the one thing we have in common is that we are all from Brentwood,” shared 16-year-old Jaelyn Guevara, one of the youngest members of the Youth Advisory Board. “We are all so glad to be here today and give back to the people who have made our community what it is. Other districts on Long Island have been openly racist toward Brentwood, and we are all here today to break all those stereotypes.”

Local organizations were present to share resources and opportunities for students and young professionals, including New York State Environmental Conservation Police, local Scouts BSA troops, New HOUR for Women & Children LI, Eastern Suffolk BOCES Literacy Zone, and so many more.

The event also aimed to raise awareness about environmental justice and the critical role of youth in driving community advocacy and change.

While the 2022 Youth Day Celebration was funded through GoFundMe efforts, the board has since secured a grant through New York Renews—a coalition of over 300 organizations with a common goal of addressing the climate crisis and inequality. The Youth Advisory Board used the Aug. 24 event to speak about how the two issues go hand in hand.

“Disproportionately, low-income communities are going to be most predominantly affected by environmental climate change. For example, when we had the orange smoke in the air last year, who was more affected by that? Brown, low-income communities were also already facing higher asthma and obesity rates, and were most affected by it,” said Joshua Chan, chair of the District 1 Youth Advisory Board. “This year, we want to focus on environmental justice through legislation currently going through the proper channels in Albany. For example, why hasn’t the New York Heat Act been passed? And the Climate Change Superfund Act, which would write a tax on polluters, and that tax money would be given as a grant to communities that are disproportionately affected by climate change, so they can bolster their defenses against it.”

As young students departed from the annual Youth Day Celebration, they left with the tools they need for academic success this school year, and inspiration from the District 1 Youth Advisory Board that they, too, can advocate for their communities and make their voices heard.