Voices of the Future
Panel Discussion with iMatter Youth Movement & Climate Generation
Ana Martinez has been involved in the climate movement since elementary school. Ana grew up in Mexico for most of her life, spent four years in Panama, and moved to Minnesota last summer. She is currently a freshman at Edina High School and a member of her school’s environmental club. Ana has worked on initiatives in her school and community to raise awareness about the climate crisis and promote sustainability in her community.
Katie Christiansen has worked with St. Louis Park students and community members for nearly two years pushing her city to implement a Climate Action Plan. Last summer, Katie served as part of the core group that founded MN Can’t Wait, a youth-led climate advocacy organization that recently released the MN Green New Deal bill. A senior at St. Louis Park High School, Katie has had the amazing opportunity to watch and lead as a youth in Minnesota and around the country push for real action to fight climate change and create a livable future for ourselves and our children.
Lia Harel is a founder and leader of Minnetonka Climate Initiative, a coalition partnered with iMatter that is working with the City of Minnetonka to develop a climate action plan for the community. Lia helps plan and lead workshops and summits on various climate justice issues as a core member of Youth Environmental Activities of Minnesota (Yea! MN). Additionally, Lia is an organizer for MN Can’t Wait, which recently introduced the MN Green New Deal. Lia is excited to pursue an education in environmental policy at Claremont McKenna College next year.
Tiger Worku is a community organizer in the Seward Neighborhood of Minneapolis and recently co-authored Minnesota’s first-ever youth-led MN Green New Deal bill. A junior in Minneapolis’ South High School, Tiger is passionate about diversity in the environmental movement.
Anya Steinberg, Panel Moderator, is a rising junior at Colorado College where she majors in environmental science and in race, ethnicity, and migration studies. Anya has worked as a program facilitator at iMatter Youth for almost a year and has found empowering youth to take action on the climate crisis and working in local government to be some of the most fulfilling experiences of her life. When she’s not fighting for climate justice, Anya likes to ski, read good books, and journal.
