CCW YOUTH COHORT PROGRAM 2025
Between July 1 and August 14, CCW hosted a youth cohort program with four individuals:
Mary Chavez from Ohkay Owingeh,
George Lopez from Ohkay Owingeh,
R’riana Frenier from Tesuque Pueblo, and
Savanna Woods from Albuqerque
Cohort members met weekly during the program to engage with presentations given by the CCW youth representative, Joaquin Romero, and other members of CCW, which covered critical topics that CCW engages with.
Cohort members also attended a tour of Sacred sites around Los Alamos National Laboratory with International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) members, led by Elder Kathy Sanchez (San Ildefonso).
At the end of the program, each cohort member showed a final project to the CCW group. Two cohort members also gave their presentations at a LANL public hearing about tritium venting.
George Lopez's final project about impacts of radioactive waste on animals
We want to thank Mary, George, R’riana and Savanna for their hard work during the cohort program, and we look forward to future collaborations with you all!
CCW Youth Representatives
We believe in safe, clean water for communities today and for future generations. A priority is preparing future leaders with the skills and resources to affect change.
Our current CCW Youth Mentor Representative is Joaquin Romero, from Mora, NM. He is focused on organizing a CCW youth cohort for building out continued involvement of youth CCW members.
History of CCW Youth Council and Memberships
The Communities for Clean Water Youth Council operated between 2013 and 2016 as a self-governed youth organization that enabled young people to become community leaders for clean water. We provided the Youth Council with mentorship and financial and technical support.
Youth Council members engaged their peers, as well as the larger community, in a dialogue about LANL-related water impacts. By participating in the Youth Council, young people strengthened their personal connection to water and grow empathy for all who depend on this life-giving resource. Through site visits, public presentations, the arts, and educational activities, they built leadership skills and ecoliteracy–a sense of deep responsibility for the well-being of communities and the planet.
Between 2017 and 2023, CCW worked with two Native Youth Leaders in a more in-depth approach by providing one-on-one mentorship and supporting them in developing projects and programs to reach out to their peers.
