...by some Girl Scouts from Wisconsin.  Girl Scout Troops 1477 & 1952 wanted to do a high-impact take-action project to address climate change. They looked for a topic that was local and global, a bit unexpected, and on the cutting edge to maximize their impact. 

 

They choose embodied carbon of building materials, particularly concrete, because it was all of those things AND had many different available solutions awaiting awareness for large-scale adoption. 

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Through homemade videos (see below), presentations to industry groups and local and state government, TV and radio interviews, the girls found their youth voices are powerful for drawing attention to embodied carbon and encouraging action--and they discovered a fun way to explore careers related to building and materials.  

 

As their project grew and reached a global audience across the AEC and materials industries, interest in expanding on their project and engaging more youth in the effort grew as well.

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The CZYI builds on the experience of this active troop and takes it to the next level.  Founded by Girl Scout troop leader Julia Pooler, who has helped guide the girls through their project, the CZYI opens up this unique combination of STEM learning, career engagement, life skills-building, and climate activism to youth across the US and beyond.

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