PRESS RELEASE

Above: An attendee participates in a planting activity at a youth-led volunteer event hosted by H.E.L.P. of Long Beach and funded by the first round of ClimateLB funds.

Long Beach, CA — The City of Long Beach is launching its second round of funding for the ClimateLB Youth Climate Action Fund Microgrant Program (Program) to support youth ages 15 to 24 in designing, producing, and overseeing urgent climate solutions that further the City’s climate action goals. The Program will aid in fulfilling the City’s 10-year community investment plan, the Westside Promise, and also aligns with the goals of the Long Beach Climate Action Plan, Strategic Plan for Youth and Emerging Adults and Racial Equity and Reconciliation Plan.

“The ClimateLB Program centers our local youth and the critical role they play in creating a more livable and climate-resilient Long Beach and increases support for youth-led sustainability initiatives in West Long Beach,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “By more than doubling the grant funding this year, we are underscoring our commitment to investing in youth leadership opportunities and encouraging innovation and civic engagement, both of which are necessary to solve the difficult climate challenges our communities face.”

The Program will award $85,000 in grant funding to support 17 local youth-led climate projects over 10 months through the distribution of $5,000 microgrants. The City will prioritize proposals from youth-serving organizations that address climate change mitigation, environmental justice, equity and adaptation actions in West Long Beach. Selected projects must focus on one or more of the following themes: 

1. Youth-Led Reforestation and Tree-Planting Projects: Projects that mobilize youth volunteers to plant trees, improve urban green spaces and increase urban canopy coverage for better air quality and climate resilience.
2. Youth-Led Climate Education Efforts: Educational initiatives led by youth that target local schools and communities to increase awareness and understanding of climate issues.
3. Youth Climate Ambassadors Programs: Programs that engage youth to provide information on local climate and environmental resources to local businesses, nonprofits and residents.
4. Youth-Designed Public Art and Awareness Campaigns: Partnerships with youth artists to create public art installations and awareness campaigns that convey the urgency of climate action and the City’s climate goals.

Applications are now available on lbcity.info/climatelb and will be available through Monday, March 17, 2025. Grant awardees will be announced in early April, the funds will be administered in early May, and the full grant award must be expended by Oct. 31, 2025.

The City will host a kickoff event from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at Silverado Park (1545 W. 31st St.) to provide a space for Long Beach youth and youth-serving organizations to learn more about the program, discuss project ideas and meet potential collaborators.

The Youth Climate Action Fund is funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with United Cities and Local Governments and the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University and is administered by the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Last year, the Program awarded eight youth-led projects with $5,000 microgrants to support youth-led reforestation and tree-planting projects, climate education efforts, climate ambassador programs and public art and awareness campaigns.

For more details about the ClimateLB Youth Climate Action Fund Microgrant Program and to register for the kickoff event, visit the Office of Climate Action and Sustainability website at lbcity.info/climatelb.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, the award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. More information about the Office of Climate Action and Sustainability is available at longbeach.gov/sustainability and on Facebook and Instagram.