Growing up in Texas, Alexia Leclercq learned from her mother that we are all connected to one another and to the earth. Alexia got involved in environmental organizing to both honor her ancestors and protect future generations. She launched Start:Empowerment to provide youth of color with tools to innovate, imagine, and build a just, sustainable future.

“I got involved in this work to honor my ancestors and future generations, to provide youth of color with tools to become changemakers, and to pass down cultural knowledge.”

What will the Stanley Creators Fund make possible for Start:Empowerment?

The Stanley Creators Fund grant will make it possible to launch the second iteration of our Environmental Justice Fellowship. This program provides BIPOC youth with paid opportunities to learn about and spend the summer organizing for environmental justice. These youth will have access to climate education, cultural knowledge, and community organizing skills as they launch their own journeys.

Stanley Creators Fund celebrates the Creators, Builders, and Inventors among us. What does it mean to you to be a Creator, Builder, and Inventor?

To me, being a Creator means bringing people together to imagine beyond what’s deemed possible, and work to build new futures.

What drives you? Or, said differently, what’s your “why?”

I believe the climate crisis is the biggest issue facing our generation. But communities across the world have lived sustainably, caring for Mother Earth, for generations. We must honor cultural and traditional knowledge and focus on frontline communities to build solutions for the future.

What makes you excited for this grant and partnership?

I want to provide other youth of color access to the education, skills, and resources necessary to organize for change in their communities. In a world where climate disasters are disrupting access to education, eco-anxiety is prevalent, and pollution affects the health of millions of people in low-income communities, we must ensure our communities are equipped to tackle and survive the climate crisis.

“I’m deeply thankful for this funding from Stanley Creators Fund. As a youth- and BIPOC-led organization it can be challenging to access traditional non-profit funding sources.”