Community Voices … with Sofia Ruiz-McGinty: Live Oak students take action to make a difference in climate change

Grant for $10,000 from Silicon Valley Clean Energy funds increase in environmental literacy 

By Sofia Ruiz-McGinty

Sofia Ruiz-McGinty

Being a young adult, there is a sense of urgency one has when it comes to combatting the climate crisis. We are filled with fear and resentment because we see the consequences of climate change all around us as we march into our futures.

As I step into my senior year of high school, I begin to reflect on the experiences that have been most formative in my life so far. What stands out, without a doubt, is the significance of my journey with environmental advocacy as a part of the Morgan Hill Youth Climate Action Team (MHYCAT).

Coming from an environmentally-conscious family, I grew up attending Earth Day gatherings, learning about sustainability and the footprint we leave behind on this planet. This drive I felt for protecting the environment was deeply rooted in me. It only continued to grow as I got older — as did my frustration.

My path to addressing environmental issues here in my community has been influenced by my experiences. Growing up in Morgan Hill, I observed the consequences of global warming: rising temperatures and increased natural disasters all around me. This culminated in having to evacuate my home due to the raging wildfires in the summer of 2020. These real-life dangers led me to seek an outlet for making change, and I found MHYCAT. There are many ways to take action, but I was drawn to MHYCAT after meeting the team. Kids like me were able to make a difference in protecting our Earth and our future, right here in our community.

Small but mighty, MHYCAT has been working hard since the beginning to make waves in Morgan Hill. In its early stages, a group of 10 to 12 MHYCAT youth leaders saw through the city’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) from June 2020 through its official passing in May 2021.

The Morgan Hill city government was initially hesitant to institute the plan. However, our group of high school students did not take no for an answer. We worked relentlessly to research CAPs, get stakeholder input, and deliver public comments at council meetings.

The Morgan Hill CAP was implemented with support from climate champions on the council. The legacy of the historic CAP can still be felt today, as its contents guide our city toward its goals of transitioning 95 percent of existing buildings in Morgan Hill to all-electric by 2045.

For the past four years, this organization has been my home, a place where I have been able to grow. Since leading MHYCAT, my fellow members and I have continued to host community events, such as our monthly park clean-ups or the green career fairs at both Live Oak and Sobrato high schools where we presented opportunities in the green economy with our peers.

MHYCAT is a youth-led group that focuses on empowering young adults to tackle local environmental concerns through impactful initiatives in education and policy. This is achieved through collective efforts, hands-on projects, collaboration with local officials, and participation in the civic process.

Not a meeting goes by where we don’t passionately share our hopes for a sustainable future and our plans for initiatives we want to see implemented. Recently, our group landed on comprehensive climate education as the project that we embark on next with full force.

In January we wrote and secured a grant for $10,000 from our partner Silicon Valley Clean Energy as a part of their education fund to increase environmental literacy in the Morgan Hill Unified School District.

We hope to empower teachers to integrate climate literacy into lesson plans, while also organizing interactive educational nights. This June we met with Superintendent Dr. Carmen Garcia to plan how this would roll out and highlight the importance of getting environmental curriculum into our classrooms, developing our future leaders and shifting the way of thinking of one of the biggest employers in the city, which is the Morgan Hill Unified School District.

MHYCAT will continue to be instrumental in our community’s path forward and act as an avenue to advocate for this generation’s stake in the climate crisis. Hope is in every step we take together for a more sustainable future. So I ask, please take action.

For climate advocates of all ages seeking to get involved, we welcome you to join us at our next park clean-up from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8 at the Coyote Creek Visitor Center, 19245 Malaguerra Ave., Morgan Hill or learn more about our organization at www.svyouthclimateaction.org.

Sofia Ruiz-McGinty is a senior at Live Oak High School. She wrote this column for Morgan Hill Life.