The San Francisco Estuary Partnership has officially launched its second cohort of the Estuary Youth Council (EYC).

The boundary-pushing initiative is designed to empower and support youth from marginalized communities in the San Francisco Estuary region to gain insight into the region’s environmental challenges, and to work with local community organizations to make a positive impact.

Each year, the EYC program hosts a small group of young environmental leaders through community-based organization (CBO) partners Mycelium Youth Network, Nuestra Casa, and Restore the Delta. Youth are recruited through an application and interview process, and hail from Oakland, San Francisco, East Palo Alto, North Fair Oaks, Belle Haven, Redwood City, Stockton, and the surrounding Delta areas.

For its 2025 cohort year, EYC welcomed eight youth who will participate in a six-month program offering hands-on learning experiences, small-group mentorship, professional development, and a chance to work on an original capstone project that will address a critical environmental challenge faced by the San Francisco Estuary.

The program kicked off in June at Indian Basin Waterfront Park, with youth, Estuary Partnership staff, and representatives from each CBO all meeting each other for the first time through a series of ice breakers, community building activities, and leadership development exercises.

To honor the history of India Basin and ground the group in the space, Arieann Harrison of the Marie Harrison Community Foundation was invited as a guest speaker and shared her family’s multi-generational work to improve the environmental health and lives of Bayview-Hunters Point residents. The cohort also had the opportunity to experience nature directly thanks to Rocking the Boat, San Francisco, which led recreational rowing activities for the group.

From now until December, EYC youth will meet once a month at a new waterfront site to learn about local ecology, environmental history, and meet organizations and individuals working to improve the health of the Estuary. They will also meet with their CBO hosts outside of these monthly gatherings for small group mentorship and support with their capstone project. In December, the program will conclude with a Hibernation Celebration where the 2025 cohort will present their completed capstone projects and celebrate their accomplishments over the duration of the program.

To keep in the know about the Estuary Youth Council, follow San Francisco Estuary Partnership on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram

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