Are you a climate organizer in Maine age 14-30?
Share your voice in this youth-led research study!
The Listen Project is a participatory research study comprised of youth-led surveys and in-depth interviews to better understand the needs of youth organizers and to build a more connected and collaborative youth climate movement in Maine. Youth under age 18 will need parental permission to participate in the survey.
Every two weeks, we’ll draw names to raffle off cool prizes for survey participants!
Facilitated by:
with support from adult allies in Maine Climate Action NOW!
Why is this project needed right now?
The Listen Project aims to increase collaboration amongst youth climate organizations and community groups to build a more sustainable foundation that meets the needs of the dynamic and diverse Maine youth climate movement. Because climate justice work is by definition intersectional, groups in the youth climate movement focus on a wide variety of issues. In addition, the movement’s population changes rapidly as youth are very mobile as they graduate high school, go to college, and pursue careers in new geographic areas. Because of this dynamic, leadership succession planning in the youth climate movement in Maine has been a serious issue in maintaining continuity of the work. Organizations often compete over the same pool of money with some groups’ successes coming at the expense of others. We expect The Listen Project’s data to illustrate both the strengths and challenges of this work and how we can better move forward.
participatory process
The Listen Project uses a participatory process to center those most impacted in the design and implementation of the evaluation. Youth step into the role of researchers to study themselves and their own movement by implementing surveys and in-depth interviews in their communities and organizations.
The Core Working Group
The Core Working Group meets biweekly and is responsible for project management. MEEA and MYCJ representatives lead the working group, and an Adult Ally from MCAn will offer critical feedback on the project and connect the wider adult-led coalition of climate organizations to the research project. A Youth Fellow will bring their perspective as a young person in Maine’s current education system and will receive leadership and research skills. All working group members receive a paid stipend. The core working group is negina lawler-naluai, Sulwan Ahmed, Angie Flores Quispe, Zak Kendall, Ezra Sassaman, Olivia Griset, and Ray Mills.
The Advisory Board
The Youth Advisory Team includes 15 youth representatives from various youth climate organizations. This group meets 4-6 times over the course of the project to give feedback at critical stages and to ensure the project includes information from their organizations and youth they have relationships with. Working group members will also serve on the advisory. Advisory Team members receive a paid stipend. The advisory board is Idey Abdi, Deb Paredes, Ania Wright, Laura Bither, Bethany Humphrey, Isidora Munoz Segovia, Anna Siegel, Luke Sekera-Flanders, Thea Hart, Cassie Cain, Nyalat Biliew, Kaya Lolar, and Will Lehan.
Research support
Researchers from the Data Innovation Project at the University of Southern Maine are working with the working group to offer support and training at critical points throughout the project.
Data collected aims to identify:
How we can more equitably resource the youth climate movement in Maine?
What are the challenges and opportunities facing youth-led climate organizations?
How can philanthropy and older adult allies support youth to make change in their local, state, and federal communities?
What collaborations can be built for youth groups to build collective power?
Questions? Email info@meeassociation.org