'Our nation is counting on you': VP Kamala Harris highlights Denver's youth climate activists

Vice President Kamala Harris speaking at Northfield High School in Denver, Colo. on Friday, June 16, 2023. (Hannah Metzger, Colorado Politics)

Published by Colorado Politics on June 16, 2023.

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"You are the leaders in this climate movement." 

That is the message Vice President Kamala Harris offered to Denver students on Friday afternoon in a packed auditorium of Northfield High School, where she highlighted the work of some of the city's youngest climate activists and encouraged the rest of the country to follow their lead. 

In a 15-minute speech, Harris applauded the Denver Public Schools' Climate Action Plan passed last year and the students who drafted it. Among the first such plans in the country, it aims to move the district towards 100% clean electricity by 2030, reducing greenhouse gas emissions 90% by 2050, and prioritizing sustainability actions in schools and communities.

"In the face of a global crisis, they took action," Harris said of the students behind the plan. "This work and this achievement is a model for young leaders across our nation and that's why I wanted to come here today." 

Two of the students who created and advocated for the policy, Mariah Rosensweig and Gabriel Nagel, met with Harris on Friday and announced the vice president before she took the stage. The two recent graduates of Denver's East High School are co-leaders of DPS Students for Climate Action. 

"Our generation has felt the sting of the climate crisis most viscerally," Rosensweig said. "As new voters and the future leaders of this country, it means the world that Vice President Kamala Harris has come here to highlight youth voices tackling climate change." 

Other announcers included Gov. Jared Polis, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.

However, the students were the clear stars of the show. Each speaker repeatedly emphasized the core message of the event: "You are the future." 

Two Denver elementary schoolers, Caden O’Kellylee and Oscar Park, even opened the ceremony. The boys spoke of their efforts organizing a bike and walk to school day, advocating for green policies at school board meetings and attending the first student-led DPS Climate Action Summit.

"We can be part of the solution," Park said while standing on a step stool to reach the microphone. 

Even with 400-plus seats lining the room, some 200 people stood wall-to-wall during the event, squeezing together to get a glimpse of Harris on stage. 

The audience featured dozens of children and teenagers — many of whom sported Girl Scouts sashes. Other notable attendees included representatives from the National Education Association, Colorado Climate Core, AmeriCorps, Denver Public Schools, Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera and Democratic state lawmakers Sen. Chris Hansen and Reps. Jennifer Bacon, Dafna Michaelson Jenet, Matthew Martinez, Sheila Lieder and Kyle Brown. 

"We need you," Harris said to the students while gesturing to the adults in the room. "It is our young leaders who are our conscious and are guiding our nation." 

During her speech, Harris also touted the Biden-Harris administration's commitment to addressing climate change. She specifically highlighted the Inflation Reduction Act, signed by President Joe Biden last year, which earmarked around $370 billion for climate investments — the nation’s largest ever commitment towards combating climate change.

Harris encouraged students throughout the country to take action locally, calling on the youth to use their summer vacation to organize, as Denver's students have done. 

"Follow the model that was developed right here in Denver to make your voices heard," Harris said. "Our nation is counting on you all, and President Biden and I will be with you every step along the way." 

This is Harris' second visit to Colorado this year. Only three months ago, Harris participated in a similarly climate-focused discussion at the Arvada Center on March 6. Before that, Harris hadn't visited Colorado since 2021, when she promoted a COVID-19 relief package with local business owners. 

Harris has held moderated conversations in several states throughout the year to highlight climate legislation, including Michigan in January, Georgia in February, Florida in March and California in April. 

Harris and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff will attend a campaign reception in Denver before departing for Los Angeles. Emhoff is also scheduled to return to Colorado later this month to attend the Aspen Ideas Festival to discuss fighting antisemitism.