It's Our Future: For Youth, By Youth

Welcome to It’s Our Future! We are youth who care about climate advocacy and justice. Join us to connect, learn, and advocate. This includes the Youth Climate Justice Summit where we connect and empower our peers to take action in their schools and communities. 

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@iofyouth, @ycjs.chicago 

Join IOF

From your neighborhood, to downtown Chicago, to international destinations, IOF is all about brining youth together to build a more just and sustainable future. We believe climate advocacy is better with friends! Still have questions? Check out our FAQ page.

What is IOF?

Connect

IOF gives you a welcoming place to build community as you engage in climate and sustainability work. You’ll meet like-minded people and learn from your peers, adult mentors, and experts in the field.

Educate

Education is at the heart of IOF! Through skill-building workshops, adult mentorship, peer to peer learning, and more, you’ll gain a deep understanding of the climate crisis and how to effectively advocate for solutions.

Advocate

IOF will give you real-world experience advocating for climate justice and sustainability in your school, your community, and even on the global stage. Learn how to persuade decision-makers and make your voice heard.

"It's Our Future has been an amazing experience for me! It is a really supportive community and such a cool way to connect with other environmentalists around the city. I also got the chance to attend COP29 where I met environmental activists and officials from around the world. I learned a lot from this and came back with so many new ideas to share!"

Poppy, OPRF H.S. '25

“It’s incredibly inspiring to see how IOF brings youth together from across the state to learn, lead, connect, and take real action on climate justice. IOF has been one of the only spaces where I’ve truly felt empowered: supported, trusted, and given the room to find my voice and use it to shape meaningful change.”

Abhinav, Nequa Valley H.S. '26

“Through IOF I have learned to grow as a person, changemaker, and leader. IOF has empowered me to take action in sustainability and climate justice, and connected me with so many inspiring, like-minded youth.”

Mahima, Illinois Math and Science Academy, '26

“IOF has given me so much more than the opportunity to make my ideas a reality. It has allowed me to build relationships with mentors who care about what I have to say, make friends who share the same passion for climate justice, and most importantly, shown me that hope is not yet lost.”

Andrea, Nequa Valley H.S. '26

How to Get Involved

You can get involved in IOF by attending an online or in-person event or joining a committee that meets monthly.

Join IOF
Join a Committee

Join a team to help push for climate education for all, to advance school policy through the IOF Resource Guide, to plan the next Youth Climate Justice Summit, or to shout it all out on social media! Learn more on our FAQ page.

Attend an Event

Zoom in or show up for an IOF event! IOF holds regular in-person and online events, which can include educational and skill-building workshops, mixers, speakers, and more.

Travel to Conferences

Each year, a handful of IOFers have the opportunity to attend global or national conferences, where they meet with world leaders and other youth activists, speak out for climate justice, and come home ready to take action!

Join IOF and Advocate for Your Future

It’s not easy working to build a more just and sustainable future. But it can be fun if you do it with friends! Join IOF and you’ll find yourself in a welcoming community of passionate, like-minded high school students who believe a greener future is possible if we work together to create it. 

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