Congratulations to Joana Leonido this weeks Climate Community Citizen of the Week.
We met Joana through our frineds at Roots and Shoots and the Los Angeles Unified School District. Joana is an amazing young woman who represents the very best of her peer group. She is 18 years old and a recent high school graduate who will soon begin college at UC Santa Cruz.
Joana migrated to the US from the Philippines in 2000 with her parents and siblings.
The work she has done is well beyond her years….. and when we think of climate education and climate action – she is at the top of the list…
Joana organized 75 students to plant 100 trees in Griffith Park, and 50
students to clean the Los Angeles River-all in action with the Roots
& Shoots Youth Campaigns. She began her Roots & Shoots group with zero
members, and now has over 40 members that complete at least three major
projects each year that address animals, the environment and the human
community.
Joana has created an infrastructure within her group that allows for sustainability and leadership responsibilities for youth other than herself; with committees and titles for each member. She works with the younger members of the group to train them in leadership
skills and project planning to ensure that her hard work continues when she graduates.
Her first major project was to create a recycling program in her school,
working with janitors, staff, teachers, community organizations and
students to educate and explain the importance of recycling. This
program also serves as a fundraiser for their group-the current bank
account is the largest group bank account in the school with $1000. This
is all achieved in one of the lowest income areas of Los Angeles, and in
a school district (LAUSD) with a 44% graduation rate (sixth worst in the
country).
Joana has spearheaded the following projects in her school: edible wall
which provides fresh food to the families in the community and the local food bank;
fruit & native plant garden; garden at the Elementary school across the
street; educated and trained fourth and fifth graders at an after-school
program about recycling over two months; served as the student body president; trained young people at a local community center; attended Bioneers and ran a youth workshop at Bioneers; applied for and attained two mini-grants to fund projects in her community.
Recently, with the drastic budget cuts ravishing LAUSD, Joana has taken
a stand for her education and the future of education in Los Angeles. On
May 1 2009, Joana co-lead the walk-outs at schools around Downtown Los
Angeles in protest of the budget cuts and also demanding immigration
reform (in commemoration of Worker’s Day). She has continued to organize
sit-ins and walk-outs against LAUSD decisions.
Joana says that she wants to become a community organizer after she graduates from college….(and we know where that can lead – I am sure she will have my vote!)
Joana – Congratulations again and the best of luck!
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