The climate crisis will define the lives of young people around the globe. That’s why the sooner they can get involved, the better, BI climate activist and grant organizer John Kydd said.

“For folks that are older, during our lifetimes, we have created a very significant impact on climate. There’s a duty to address that, and at the same time recognize that the folks who are most harmed are youth, who have had the least responsibility for the climate problem,” Kydd said.

“The Creator put man in the garden and said, ‘Care for it.’ From my perspective, that was the First Commandment. We have to care for all that’s around us. In the bigger picture, that is deep within all faiths.”

The first-ever Kitsap Climate Justice Youth Grant for eighth- to 12th-graders, sponsored by Grace Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Olympia, is open now for applications. The church is hoping to fund youth-led projects around Kitsap County that support climate justice, such as research on local climate issues or peer education.

This is the first time that Grace church will host a grant of this kind, rector Eric Mason said. Grace has been hosting a climate support and interest group called Earth and Spirit for decades, but a 2022 interfaith climate task force called for more youth involvement at the local level.

“Our global youth state the realities of the situation in unflinchingly clear terms. They have a keen perspective on the central justice issues at stake […] The youth call for action to address climate justice now,” the task force writes. “We can set the stage for youth to be inspired by elders and, conversely, for elders to be inspired by youth. As we face climate crisis, the greatest challenge of our time, we need the solidarity and creativity that comes with collaboration across all ages.”

Three to five grants may be awarded ranging between $500-$1,500, Kydd said. While group projects are preferred, individuals are welcome to apply. Each project must be completed within a year and have an adult advisor manage the funds and oversee the project.

Applications are due Jan. 15, 2025, and grants will be awarded Feb. 20. For details go to www.gracehere.org/earth-spirit/pages/cjy.