Austin, TX — This week NextGen American is celebrating Green Week, a campaign encompassing the holidays of 4/20 and Earth Day. The campaign includes a week of advocacy actions focused on addressing the climate crisis, legalizing marijuana and expunging federal cannabis convictions. 

To amplify these efforts and call attention to the importance of climate action for young voters, NextGen America is also unveiling two large art installations in Texas and Michigan, two of the organization’s key states. The banners depict young people and families, with the phrase ‘Make Texas The Clean Energy Capital,’ in Houston, Texas, and ‘Clean Future Clean Jobs’ in Detroit, Michigan. The banners will be dropped over key locations in the city, and will be accompanied by NextGen staff on the ground educating and engaging with young people on the importance of climate action.

“In 2022, young people organized at historic levels nationwide and used their voice to encourage our leaders to protect our planet,” NextGen America President Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez said. “Now more than ever before, young people are engaged and ready to speak out in the best interests of our communities and our planet. This week, NextGen is excited to activate and mobilize young people to use their power and create change for a better future.”

Other Green Week activity includes an education session, ‘Green Week 101,’ on climate legislation and marijuana legalization and expungement, an advocacy workshop where participants will email and call their elected officials asking for action on climate change and marijuana policy reform, and a dating app organizing event called “Find Your (Cli)mate or Best Bud.” On the ground, NextGen organizers will be meeting with young people at local Earth Day events, like the Earth Day on Langston celebration in Arlington, Virginia, and the Conservation Lobby Day in Madison, Wisconsin.

NextGen’s 2023 Green Week advocacy work follows the organization’s historic work in the past decade to mobilize young people on climate justice. 

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