City of Dubuque Announces Youth Climate Action Fund Microgrant Recipients

Dubuque is one of 90 cities selected to participate in Round 2 of the YCAF program, which provides funding and technical assistance for young people ages 15-24 to design, produce, and govern urgent climate solutions. This program was designed to enable local youth to organize and execute new projects to help the City achieve its Climate Action Plan goals, which aim to reduce Dubuque's greenhouse gas emissions by 50% of 2003 levels by 2030.

The microgrants were open to applicants ages 15-25 and youth-serving organizations where the project lead was in the designated age group. In Round 2, the City received $100,000 from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Each microgrant recipient will receive between $1,000 and $5,000 to achieve their project proposal goal.

"The creativity and passion of our young leaders continue to impress us," said Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh. "This round of projects explores everything from greenspace development and E.coli research to local food systems, renewable energy, and artistic expressions of climate awareness. It's exciting to see how youth-led initiatives are shaping a more sustainable and vibrant future for the Dubuque community."

The recipients and their projects are:

• Morgan Dalsing, Isabella David, Marissa Iverson: Bringing Pollinator-Friendly Gardens to Dubuque's Residents
• Maxwell Stoll, Matthew Tuft, David Witthoeft: A Literary Expression of Climate Awareness
• Jay Moore: The ReLeaf Project
• Jaylynn Lambert (in collaboration with Alta Vista Campus Earth Science class): Alta Vista Prairie Signage
• Angel Hardia, Kameron Redmond, Lilliana Smith, Lamaris Whitehead (in collaboration with Boys and Girls Club of Greater Dubuque): Boys and Girls Club Farmers Market
• Joey Wohlers (in collaboration with the University of Dubuque): E. Coli in Dubuque's Waters
• Andrew Szczesniak (in collaboration with Loras College): Sustainable 3D Printing Solution
• Maria Fernandez, Ian Lucas, Matthew Marcum, Bernadette Mercurio (in collaboration with Loras College): Outdoor Gathering Spaces

The City looks forward to seeing the results of these projects and their impacts on the community as a whole. A small amount of funding is still available, and additional applications are welcome. More information can be found at SustainableDubuque.org/YCAF