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The City of New Rochelle will join Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Youth Climate Action Fund, which will provide capital and capacity to support municipalities in mobilizing young residents ages 15–24 in designing and delivering solutions aligned with citywide sustainability priorities. New Rochelle joins the Youth Climate Action Fund alongside 300 other city halls.

As part of this program, New Rochelle will open innovation competitions, inviting young people’s ideas, selecting the strongest proposals, and provide funding and technical assistance from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Projects will be sponsored by youth-led and youth-supporting organizations who will provide implementation support along with New Rochelle staff from start to finish, helping young residents lead in carrying their plans through to completion—creating public space, strengthening infrastructure, mitigating disasters, and building resilience. 

“Solving the climate crisis is all about taking action today to ensure a better tomorrow” said Mayor Yadira Ramos Herbert. “And there are no better hands to empower than those of our young people who will be the future leaders stepping up to take on these challenges. Thanks to Bloomberg Philanthropies, New Rochelle’s youth will have the opportunity to partner with local organizations to build solutions for our City.”

“The Youth Climate Action Fund is helping city halls around the world work alongside hundreds of thousands of young people to take action on city climate challenges and improve their communities,” said Patricia E. Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies. “They are showing how local government can be a partner on issues youth and residents care deeply about – and they are building trust along the way. We look forward to expanding on these efforts and inspiring a new generation of civic leaders.”

At a time when participation in public life has thinned, the results from the first wave of Youth Climate Action Fund cities point to a new approach. Survey research of the program’s youth participants showed that their trust in local government leadership rose from 61% to 83%—a 22 percentage point increase—while confidence in their own ability to address environmental challenges increased from 65% to 90%. Nearly three in four youth said their city hall values their input on climate policy—one of the issues they care most about.

Participating local governments also changed how they work. More than half established new, formal structures—such as youth councils, advisory boards, and participatory budgeting processes—to sustain young people’s engagement. 43% embedded youth input into long-term strategies and policies, while roughly 40% created dedicated staff roles. Nearly all report plans to expand the effort. 

As part of the Youth Climate Action Fund, Mayor Ramos-Herbert has launched an open call for new and ambitious climate efforts led by young people.

Young residents ages 15 – 24 years are encouraged to visit the EngageNR.com/YCAF to learn more about the Youth Climate Action Fund, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, and how to submit ideas for the opportunity to receive funding.

To date, more than 300,000 young people across five continents have taken part in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth Climate Action Fund—working with their city halls to create over 1,600 green spaces, plant over 1.8 million plants and 235,000 trees, develop nearly 5,000 gardens, launch 268 composting stations, and collect more than 405,000 pounds of trash and recyclables—producing visible improvements in their communities and bettering quality of life for residents worldwide. As part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ longstanding work to strengthen local state capacity through its Government Innovation program, the Fund also provides municipalities and their mayors with a model that extends beyond climate—galvanizing partnership with stakeholders citywide to advance progress on pressing problems—and opportunities—for the people they serve.