Youth Climate Program:
Develop Skills and Take Action for Environmental Good
The Nashville Youth Climate Program brings together youth from across Davidson County to learn, share, connect, and take action on climate change. It includes the annual Nashville Youth Climate Summit as well as grant opportunities for students to design and lead climate action projects in their communities.
Nashville Youth Climate Summit
The 8th Annual Nashville Youth Climate Summit will be held in early 2027. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified of the date.
YOUTH CLIMATE ACTION FUND
Cumberland River Compact and the Office of Mayor Freddie O’Connell are teaming up to make your climate ideas a reality! Nashville is one of 300 cities worldwide that gives young people funding and support to lead climate action projects through Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Youth Climate Action Fund.
Young residents ages 15-24 can submit ideas for projects through the application form at the bottom of this page.
PROJECT DETAILS
Youth Climate Action Fund projects are driven and led by youth to help the City of Nashville meet its climate and environmental goals. Projects can receive $1,000 – $5,000 in funding and must be implemented between October 2026 and April 15, 2027. To receive funding, projects must address one of the following three environmental priorities identified by the City of Nashville:
- Reduce the urban heat island effect and its impacts on Nashville’s most vulnerable populations.
- Protect and preserve nature to increase climate resilience.
- Safeguard clean and abundant water for future generations.
Some example projects include:
- Organizing a community tree planting at a school, neighborhood, or community organization
- Creating a plan to raise community awareness about tree planting in a specific neighborhood, school or other location
- Leading a stream cleanup
- Educating community members about the impacts of urban heat and the resources available to help them stay safe during extreme heat
- Organizing a depave project that removes unnecessary pavement from an area of town, or raising awareness about the benefits of depaving
- Replacing lawn space with a native garden
- Planting a rain garden or other green infrastructure to absorb stormwater runoff during heavy rains
- Supporting a new or ongoing youth council, club, or team related to the local environment.
- Creating civic engagement and community education opportunities for youth.
REQUIREMENTS
Youth Eligibility: Each project must have a leadership team of two young people who are residents of Davidson County and between the ages of 15-24.
Project Sponsor: Youth project leaders must partner with a community organization, school, or other eligible entity as a project sponsor. The sponsor will not lead the project design or execution, but will receive and distribute the funds to execute the project.
Sponsor organizations must be legally registered entities, be recognized as a nonprofit or public entity, and have a bank account in their name. If you need help identifying a project sponsor or your organization is interested in serving as a project sponsor, reach out to info@cumberlandrivercompact.org.
Progress Tracking: Awarded project teams must complete their projects by April 15, 2027. Youth leaders will participate in monthly check-in meetings with Metro Nashville and Cumberland River Compact staff. Project teams will also need to submit two reports about the project outputs, outcomes, and expenses.
Good news – the deadline to apply is extended! Applications are now due September 30th, 2026. Apply using the form below.