The Kids are Alright

Repost from the Missoula Current article here.

By: Leah Nuese-Yaker and Maiya Roelen

In Montana, the youth are leading the charge. In the wake of Held V. Montana, a landmark legal win for the environment that made headlines across the country, youth climate organizing has become something of a point of state pride. Montana teenagers have a national reputation for being headstrong, organized, and brave. If you’ve spent any time around them lately, you know they’ve earned it.

The thing about teenagers, however, is no matter how headstrong and brave they might be, they still need someone in their corner.

That’s the idea driving the Montana Youth Climate Mentorship network, an emerging program co-led by Families for a Livable Climate (FLC) and Park County Environmental Council (PCEC). The mentorship network, one of the first of its kind in the nation, is intended to build a bridge between high school and college students that are passionate about the climate work they are doing now and into the future.

The seed was planted at the first-ever Montana Youth Climate Summit in 2023 which hosted high school students from across the state for a weekend of empowerment, leadership, and climate storytelling. At the event, attendees in grades nine through twelve expressed a need for continued community support for their climate organizing efforts and the implementation of their environmental projects.

In October 2025, the second biennial summit brought students back together. In a breakout session designed to provide youth with a voice in the creation of such a network, the conversation stumbled onto many necessary elements: What would it look like to actually build a mentorship network? Who would it serve? What resources do students need? What do young people want to see in terms of climate action in Montana?

Out of that room came a core leadership team, monthly planning meetings, and a vision that’s been growing ever since. Maiya Roelen, now a senior at the University of Montana studying wildlife biology with a minor in climate change studies, was in that room. She has been volunteering with Families for a Livable Climate for several years now and knows firsthand what it feels like as a high school student to navigate environmental work and climate-focused career aspirations without a guide.

Growing up in Seattle, her high school background around climate activism was, in her own words, “a DIY academic experience” driven entirely by her personal connection to the natural world and a desire to learn everything she could about the environment and climate action. When looking to her future, she spent her time scouring the internet for related undergraduate academic options, leadership opportunities, and networks to tap into without having a great sense of how best to find those things.

College changed that. Mentors, academics, professors, nonprofit organizations, and volunteers invested in her. The director of the Climate Change Studies program encouraged her to attend the Montana Youth Climate Summit in October of 2025. This support provided direction, purpose, and a sense of belonging in her work and constantly propels her forward.

A study published this past March found that 64% of young people engaged in service say that mentors play a significant role in helping them reach their goals. Mentorship has also been shown to enhance student learning outcomes, decrease violent behavior, and help youth feel connected.

For young folks today - face to face with the unprecedented uncertainties of climate change - mentorship can serve as a refuge of sorts, creating space for community building, academic and career guidance, and a remedy for the isolation that so often accompanies caring deeply about something as heavy as the climate crisis.

The Montana Youth Climate Mentorship Network is intended to fulfill that very purpose. The intention is multifaceted: connect college-aged mentors with high school students and environmental clubs, train youth mentors, and reduce isolation while providing resources, community, and a network of support for youth-led initiatives.

The program is still young but has been a vision many years in the making. We welcome anyone interested in participating, to fill out our online interest form for a virtual information session on April 16.

If you are a high school student who wants to engage in climate work, the Montana Youth Climate Mentorship Network is a space for you to build community, find support for your efforts, and feel empowered in your mission. If you’re a college student with some hard-earned knowledge and some time to offer, consider becoming a mentor. If you’re an adult or teacher who cares about the climate and is proud of the young folks leading the charge, spread the word and share with your class so students and youth have access to the roadmap they may need.

It’s about building a community for climate action in Montana and we need your help. Complete the interest form to tap into the network here.

Young people are taking a stand at the forefront of local and global efforts to safeguard the future of our climate. Mentorship can ensure that youth feel heard and capable, and that knowledge alone can make all the difference.

Leah Nuese-Yaker is a budding social worker whose work sits at the nexus of play, community, and connections between mental health and environmental justice. Maiya Roelen is a volunteer with Families for a Livable Climate, aspiring nonprofit professional, and environmental activist dedicated to amplifying youth voices in the climate space.