This year, Bloomberg Philanthropies selected Somerville as one of nearly 300 cities to participate in the 2026–27 Youth Climate Action cohort. Through the Youth Climate Action Fund, the city received $50,000 to distribute in microgrants of up to $5,000 to support young residents aged 15–24 in designing and implementing climate solutions aligned with citywide priorities.
Emily Sullivan, climate change program manager in Somerville’s Office of Sustainability and Environment, said the Office and the Grants Development and External Funds Department worked with Somerville Public Schools to put together an application for the grant.
“It was a good group effort,” Sullivan said.
In order to receive a microgrant, teams must submit a project application that aligns with Somerville’s community climate action plan, Climate Forward, which covers areas like energy, transportation, natural resources and community health and resiliency.
While there are parameters, the wide scope of the Climate Forward plan leaves room for a range of projects.
“Anyone who has an idea of a project that is related to climate change [is eligible],” Sullivan said.
Additionally, applicants must have a team of at least two youth leads and a local partnership with a registered nonprofit or educational institution, such as Tufts University or Somerville Public Schools.
While the grant focuses on local community benefits, Sullivan clarified that Tufts students qualify for funding regardless of whether they live in Medford or Somerville.
“We consider Tufts students to be part of the Somerville community,” Sullivan said. “Maybe their address is in a Medford zip code, maybe it’s in a Somerville zip code. But ultimately, the project has to have intended or anticipated benefits for the Somerville community.”
Project applications for the Youth Climate Action Fund opened on Sept. 1 and will close on Oct. 15. After applications are submitted, the review committee — composed of five volunteers from the school committee and other city departments, as well as a youth representative and members of the Somerville Climate Action Commission — will make the final determinations of the award.
Sullivan advises applicants to find a teammate, prepare a budget for materials and identify how they will measure their project’s impact and benefit to the community.
“As long as the project topic is connected to Climate Forward … and as long as the benefits [are] intended or anticipated to benefit Somerville, then they’re good to go,” Sullivan said.
Audrey Hufnagel, a junior who serves as the campaigns and actions lead for Tufts Climate Action, emphasized the importance of funding for student-led community activism initiatives.
“Having that kind of funding to support youth activism is so important and so valuable,” Hufnagel said. “I also think that having the projects-based work and having it very focused on communities is awesome.”
Tufts Climate Action is a student-led organization that serves as a hub for students interested in environmental advocacy. Due to the limited funding that student organizations receive, Hufnagel viewed such grants as particularly meaningful for small youth groups for whom tight budget allocations are a common barrier.
“For someone who’s starting out on a project, or a small club like TCA … even a little bit of funding can often go a long way.” Hufnagel said.
Beyond financial support, Hufnagel also noted that participating in municipal grant programs such as the Youth Climate Action Fund, helps to build stronger connections between Tufts students and the local Somerville community.
“A lot of times, college campuses can feel very insular, and I think that it’s very valuable for college groups to kind of reach out beyond just the bubble of our school,” Hufnagel said.
On campus, The Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life has been promoting campus outreach for the Youth Climate Action Fund through student newsletters, community partner networks and university contacts in the Environmental Studies Program.
Noel Reyes, director of community partnerships at Tisch College, said Somerville reached out to the college for help spreading the word on campus. He also noted some challenges that come with the application timeline.
“The timing is kind of challenging because a lot of things are already on the way for the semester.” Reyes said. “[But] funding is not that easy to come by from a lot of places, so if you had a small project in mind, I think this could work.”
The city is actively assisting youth in developing project ideas and connecting with local organizations for partnerships. Sullivan emphasized that student applicants who do not yet have an established community partner should not feel deterred from applying.
“Part of my job is to help matchmake, if you will, and connect different organizations with youth interested in this program,” Sullivan said. “We’re trying to proactively meet with youth to help develop applications.”
