Southern New Mexico Youth Climate Change Challenge

Today, I sat down with students at Centennial High School in Las Cruces to discuss the climate crisis. Young leaders in New Mexico and around the world recognize that the climate crisis poses the greatest threat we have ever faced. They are demanding that their elected leaders act with urgency to enact solutions to mitigate devastating climate disruptions.

When I meet with students in New Mexico calling for climate action, I am always impressed with their depth of knowledge on climate science, their observations of how climate change is already impacting their daily lives, and their eagerness for action at both the local and global level. I want to elevate the voices of young New Mexicans who are calling on all of us to literally save their future.

That's why I am launching the next round of my Youth Climate Change Challenge. For this round of submissions, I'm encouraging students from southern New Mexico to submit their ideas and share their stories about what the climate crisis means for them. The deadline for submissions from southern New Mexico is April 10, 2020.

The Youth Climate Change Challenge is an opportunity for students to use their creativity to drive home the importance of this problem. Students from grades K-12 are welcome to submit drawings, paintings, poetry, and short essays. I plan to visit the classroom of the first-place winners and engage in a dialogue about what we need to do to confront climate change. If you have any questions, please contact my office at (505) 346-6601.

This rising generation of students and activists understands what we're up against, and is willing to propose the kind of bold changes that equal the scale of that problem. Unlike previous generations who have delayed and denied climate change, I strongly believe that young people are going to be the critical catalyst for solving this issue.

I hope all of the students who are raising their voices will continue to stay engaged.

I stand with you.