Your donation will help activate our youth in the fight for climate justice:
- Donations fund stipends for youth activists to take part in the Michigan League of Conservation Voters Our Water Activist program focuses on community organizing for our environment and democracy
- The program offers training, mentoring, field experience, internship opportunities, and the chance to funnel students’ energy and passion into effective civic engagement, particularly around issues of water safety and affordability
- Participants complete 22 distinct workshops on community organizing methods, best practices, and key environmental issues
- Our Water Activists learn through the program the importance of safeguarding water for both human health and the environment and take a deeper dive into the science of some topics, such as how contaminants can move through groundwater and the impacts of well-drilling, the dangers of lead to developing children, and the host of medical problems associated with PFAS, those toxic “forever chemicals” that have already impacted so many here in Michigan
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Honoring Alec Esparza’s environmental legacy through youth activism:
Alec Esparza worked for Michigan LCV from 2018 to 2019 as one of our then-brand new Our Water Our Vote organizers. He was a wonderful member of our team, making fast friends and working hard to help elect Governor Gretchen Whitmer and a slew of other clean water and clean energy candidates to office.
Alec truly wanted to make the world a better place — and he did. He was an independent, adventurous spirit, with a kind heart, a quick wit, and a passion for politics and the environment, and helping others. Beyond Michigan LCV, he was an Associate Board Member of Special Days Camp, a frequent volunteer for Special Needs Boy Scout Camp Troop, Special Olympics, and Southwest Detroit Immigration and Refugee Center, a kidney donor, Boston Marathon qualifier, and natural mentor to those in need.
Tragically, Alec lost his life in the summer of 2021 when, true to his character, he stopped on a busy road during a major storm to help a stranger in an overturned car.
To honor his legacy and his deep commitment to the environment, Michigan LCV Education Fund — with support from Alec’s family — established the ALEC Fund to support young people who are working on climate change, climate justice, and democracy in Michigan.
The ALEC Fund supports the critical climate work that Alec spent much of his adult life advocating for and offer Alec’s friends and loved ones, whose lives he touched and who share his dedication to creating a more just world, an opportunity to keep his legacy alive for years to come.
Gifts to support the Alec Esparza Youth Activist Fund at Michigan LCV’s Education Fund (a 501(c)(3) educational organization) may be eligible for a tax deduction.