Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla recently announced the 17 recipients of this year’s Youth Climate Action Fund, awarding each youth-led project a $5,000 micro-grant to implement innovative, community-centered climate solutions. The projects are funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Mayor Bhalla announced the award one year ago. According to a city press release, this year’s total of $85,000 in grant funding supports a variety of youth-led projects.
Mayor Bhalla remarked, “Once again, Hoboken’s youth are showing us what climate leadership looks like. Through their creativity, determination, and bold ideas, they’re driving real change and making a tangible impact across our square-mile community. The City is proud to support the next generation of climate champions, and we thank Bloomberg Philanthropies for making their projects possible.”
The Youth Climate Action Fund empowers local youth between the ages of 15 to 24 to design and lead climate-related initiatives. This year’s projects address a wide range of environmental issues, including reducing light pollution, promoting composting, developing clean energy prototypes, and running educational campaigns to spur change.
The 2025 Youth Climate Action Fund recipients are:
-The Eel Mop Project – Jacob Tennenbaum
The Youth Climate Action Fund will support the Eel Mop Project led by Hoboken resident Jacob Tennenbaum who aims to develop an eco-friendly, sustainable eel mop prototype for monitoring glass eels in the Hudson River. It received the highest score of all the project winners.
-Light Pollution Reduction – Anya Vasudevan
-Computers 4 People – Dylan Zajac
-Fusor Prototype – Martin Gendell
-ChargeSafe – Daniel Coppola
-Recycle Coach @ Stevens – Olivia Conner-Bennett
-The Stevens Sorting Project – Fiona Shi
-Pollination Education – Hershey Revolinsky
-LeanPath @ Stevens – Olivia Conner-Bennett
-Everything is Climate Change Film Festival – Julia Saltzman
-Residential Compost Bins @ Stevens – Lia Mehr
-Climate Action Week @ HoLA – Lisbeth Acosta
-Clothing For Care – Ekansha Tabhane
-Recycle My Battery – Mihir Parcha
-Repair Café – Julia Saltzman
-Sustainable Bites – Myckie Weng
-These Words Save Birds – Otys Train
A diverse selection committee, made up of educators, community leaders, City staff, and members of the Youth Advisory Council, evaluated and selected the projects for funding. Those committee members are:
- Tasha Fu, Youth Council
- Diana Aviles, City of Hoboken Director of Parks, Recreation & Public Works
- RJ Theofield, City of Hoboken Deputy Director of Climate Action & Innovation
- Dr. Christine Johnson, Superintendent of Hoboken Public School District
- Bryana McCourt, City of Hoboken Climate Action & Innovation
This year’s projects include:
-A prototype nuclear fusion reactor
-A film festival raising awareness through the arts
-Composting and waste sorting programs at schools
-A pollinator education campaign
-Battery recycling and community repair events
-Tools to track and reduce food waste
-Public awareness projects tackling light pollution and climate literacy
-A project to design an eel mop to monitor migrating glass eels in the Hudson River
-A project to design fireproof, secure charging stations for e-bikes and scooters to promote clean transportation while protecting public safety
-A sustainable fashion initiative that transforms donated garments into custom, high-quality clothing for individuals in need, to address both clothing insecurity and textile waste
To learn more about each project, visit www.hobokennj.gov/resources/youth-climate-action-fund.
The Youth Climate Action Fund is made possible through a global initiative led by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with United Cities and Local Governments and the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University. C40 Cities and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy are collaborating as learning partners. The program supports youth-led climate solutions through grant funding and technical assistance at no cost to taxpayers.