During the Fall of 2023, I helped Giselle Arroyo at Colorado Rising plan the first ever Colorado Youth Rising Summit. This student-driven and community-led event worked to empower young people to become lifelong engaged environmental, social justice, and health advocates. Through the power of intentional connectivity, this dedicated space was made for students to come together and learn from each other and other leaders in the community. I also had the privilege of leading a workshop on Eco-Anxiety with Aracely Navarro from Groundwork Denver. During our workshop, I educated students on what eco-anxiety is and how collective action can help us move through these overwhelming feelings so that we can find hope. Aracely then led the interactive ‘Limpia’ exercise that helped students meditate and connect to themselves through our native Colorado plant spirits. More on the day can be found HERE.
During the Fall of 2024, I was invited back as a speaker and workshop host, where I presented on Climate Joy: Finding Hope & Healing through Arts and music. Through this interactive workshop, I introduced students to concepts like intersectionality, environmental intersectionality, and eco-anxiety. I then finished the workshop off with an open jam so that students could explore sound and music through the various instruments we brought in. I also closed the summit out with one of my poems. More on the day can be found HERE.