New Voices are Rising (NVR) is an initiative of the Youth Leadership Program of the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment. Founded in 2014 by Jill Ratner, NVR was originally designed to increase voter turnout in Oakland, California. Later, the group began to focus on young people’s participation in environmentalist activism with a focus on reducing the impact of air and water pollution on the San Francisco Bay. Skills development, education, and the provision of hands-on experience for young Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) leaders are the declared goals of the organization. ^{1 2}

The Rose Foundation works with the legal community to direct funds generated from legal settlements to communities impacted by environmental damage. It serves as a trustee for over 600 funds that provide grantees with funding to benefit vulnerable populations. San Francisco Baykeeper (SFB) has granted $12 million in funds received in settlement agreements through the Rose Foundation, including an award to New Voices are Rising to fund environmental education in East Palo Alto and Redwood City, California. ^{3 4}

Programs

New Voices are Rising runs the Summer Climate Justice Academy (SCJA). Graduates are eligible for NVR’s Advanced School-Year Environmental Justice Fellowship Program. ⁵

The SCJA is conducted by NVR for high-school youth ages 14 to 18 to educate and motivate participants in environmental equal outcomes, leadership skills, provide experience, creative activities, and community building. ⁶

The NVR fellowship program accepts nine students each year and provides hands-on climate resiliency, public health, and community outreach projects that are operated by nonprofit and government agencies. ⁷

Activities

New Voices are Rising’s Youth Creating Environmentally Just Communities project was granted $25,000 in 2010 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which funded five weeks of classes, field trips, and discussions to introduce 16 students to environmental equality outcomes concepts. ⁸

In partnership with the Local Clean Energy Alliance, NVR hosted the Climate Resilience Workshop to discuss a community blueprint for the area surrounding the Oakland Coliseum after the Oakland Athletics baseball team moved from the city. The provision of a resistance hub powered by weather-dependent energy as a shelter for people during natural disasters was among the proposals considered. ⁹

On X (formerly Twitter), the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment posted praise for NVR for protesting a proposed coal terminal in West Oakland, California and the designation of the city as a priority community under California’s Community Air Protection Program (also known as AB 617). ^{10 11}

RFCE announced NVR’s launch of Youth Power for Air Justice, an advocacy campaign that will use home air quality monitors to track pollutants and assemble data that will create a community air quality mitigation plan. ¹²

Funding

New Voices are Rising was the recipient of $400,289 from the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment in 2022 to fund programs for East Bay High School students from low-income communities. ¹³

NVR launched a crowdfund campaign with a $25,000 goal in July 2024 to aid its effort to expand development of climate equal outcomes leaders. ¹⁴

1. “New Voices Are Rising.” InPlay. Accessed November 3, 2024. https://www.inplay.org/r/oakland/providers/rose-foundation-for-communities-and-the-environment/new-voices-are-rising.
2. “About Rose Foundation.” Rose Foundation, September 10, 2024. Accessed November 3, 2024. http://rosefdn.org/about/.
3. ^[1] “About Rose Foundation.” Rose Foundation, September 10, 2024. Accessed November 3, 2024. https://rosefdn.org/about/.
4. “Ways to Give – San Francisco Baykeeper.” San Francisco Baykeeper – Protecting San Francisco Bay from pollution since 1989, August 27, 2024. Accessed November 3, 2024. https://baykeeper.org/ways-to-give.
5. “New Voices Are Rising.” Rose Foundation, June 24, 2024. http://rosefdn.org/new-voices/.
6. “New Voices Are Rising.” Rose Foundation, June 24, 2024. Accessed November 3, 2024. http://rosefdn.org/new-voices/.
7. “New Voices Are Rising.” Rose Foundation, June 24, 2024. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://rosefdn.org/new-voices/.
8. New voices are rising—youth creating environmentally just … Accessed November 3, 2024. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-03/documents/rose-foundation-finaldr.pdf.
9. “Building Climate Resilience with New Voices Are Rising.” Rose Foundation, June 7, 2024. Accessed November 3, 2024. https://rosefdn.org/latest/building-climate-resilience-with-new-voices-are-rising/.
10. ^[1] “X.Com.” X (formerly Twitter). Accessed November 3, 2024. https://x.com/rosefoundation/status/1821964747174003160/photo/2.
11. “Community Air Protection Program Recommendation Process.” Community Air Protection Program Recommendation Process. Accessed November 26, 2024. https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/capp/com/cip/sp/community-air-protection-program-recommendation-process.
12. “X.Com.” X (formerly Twitter). Accessed November 3, 2024. https://x.com/rosefoundation/status/1821964747174003160/photo/3.
13. “The Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment”. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990). 2022. Part III, Line 4b.
14. “X.Com.” X (formerly Twitter). Accessed November 3, 2024. https://x.com/rosefoundation/status/1814098362112913587.