The Youth Concilio is a group of youth leaders ages 13-18 from the Canal neighborhood in San Rafael. These youth identify issues in their neighborhood to work on in order to improve the quality of life and equity in the Canal.
The Youth Concilio has worked on projects like implementing a Recycling System in the neighborhood, where recyclers from the community collect and sort out the recyclables and sell them to the buy back center. This project is not only good for the environment, but it has also created jobs for residents. The Youth Concilio was the winner of the National Geographic Green Effects Project in 2009, where they won $20,000 to further their greening efforts.
In addition, the Youth Concilio with the help of the Comite de Vecinos (Committee of Neighbors) are working along with the city of San Rafael on changing a Towing Ordinance. The Youth Concilio have been holding Clean Up days in the community in support of repealing this Ordinance.
Most recently, the Youth Concilio has been a major leader in the installment of small-scale, custom, and organic urban community gardens all throughout the Canal. The youth have helped with building the gardens, and then have gone on to disseminate information about the health and environmental benefits of eating fresh, local and organic vegetables and herbs. They have assisted in all five community gardens that have been installed since March of 2010.
The Youth Concilio keeps up with Marin County and San Rafael environmental campaigns, and assists however it can. Recently, they collaborated with Green Sangha and others to support the efforts to ban plastic bags in San Rafael and Marin.
In all their efforts, they contribute hundreds of hours to learn about the environment, their community, and how one enacts change with other groups and the local and regional government.
For more information about the Youth Concilio contact Maite Duran, at (415) 306-0440
