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Chapters!

AYEA has nine chapters in Alaska, which are the heart of AYEA. Chapters are led by teens and supported by local sponsor organizations and volunteer adult mentors. Chapters meet periodically throughout the year and plan their own local projects to respond to community issues. Chapter leaders meet each fall/winter to map out collaborative statewide campaigns, for example AYEA’s global warming campaign in 2006 during which teens collected over 5,000 youth signatures on a petition demanding action at the national level.

Anchorage AYEA Chapter, started in 1998

  • Focus Areas: Plastics,  recycling,  sustainable transportation
  • Partners:  Alaska Center for the Environment, Alaska Community Action on Toxics
  • hosted the ASD Environmental Forum and a Teen Civic Action Workshop
  • Meetings: We meet at Titlewave Bookstore (midtown location) on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm.
  • From the Chapter: Check out the Anchorage Bicycle Plan and get involved! Listen to our story on plastic bags here:

Dillingham “Rebels the the Pebble” AYEA Chapter

  • Focus Areas: The Pebble Mine, Environmental Justice, Native Alaskan rights
  • successfully convinced Josten’s to sign the Bristol Bay Protection Pledge saying “no” to gold from Pebble Mine
  • Sponsor: Dillingham Leadership and Assets Youth Coalition
  • Website: www.rebelpebble.com

Hooper Bay “Eco-Warriors” Founded Spring 2010

  • partnered with their local EPA IGAP office to do local environmental education projects

Homer HAYEA Chapter

  • Focus Areas: We initiated plastics recycling on the Kenai Peninsula! Other areas of work include school recycling, climate change, and regional issues like Cook Inlet oil drilling and Pebble M ine.
  • Sponsor: Kachemak Bay Conservation Society
  • Partners: Cook Inlet Keeper, World Wildlife Fund, and Green Star
  • worked with the local assembly to draft and submit an Energy Chapter for the Homer Comprehensive Plan to the Homer Planning Commission
  • Ten HAYEA teens testified before the entire city council, and the City of Homer agreed to include the Energy Chapter in their Comprehensive Plan
  • spent the past two years working on a Climate Change & Energy campaign
  • Meetings: We meet at The Kachemak Bay Conservation Society office or at Homer High School

Juneau JAYEA Chapter

  • Focus Areas: Reusable silverware in schools, recycling, land use/logging issues, and climate change
  • Successfully transitioned schools plastic ware use to reusable silverware
  • Sponsor: Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC has two JAYEA youth on their board of directors)
  • Partners: Friends of Recycling and Juneau Watershed Partnership
  • Meetings: We meet at Juneau Douglas High School

Palmer PAYEA Chapter

  • Sponsor: Valley Community for Recycling Solutions (VCRS)
  • Partners: The Soil and Water Conservation District and Valley ACE efforts.
  • About Us:  PAYEA is working on a Sustainable Schools Campaign, exploring alternatives to highly-processed cafeteria food and getting reusable trays and silverware.
  • Contact us: payea(at)ayea.org

Seward AYEA Chapter

  • 7th and 8th graders at Seward Middle School!
  • Meet every Monday
  • Activities include decorating  AYEA reuseable bags and Recycling Olympics
  • Had a record 13 applicants to the Coal Summit!

Sitka/Mt. Edgecumbe MEAYEA Chapter

  • Focus Areas: Climate change, making the school more sustainable/environmentally friendly, and recycling.
  • Sponsor: Sitka Conservation Society
  • Partner: Sitka Tribe
  • From the Chapter: “We’ve decided to do a Climate Change Report as a chapter, and also to continue work in the Plastics campaign. We’re also coordinating a beach cleanup here around Sitka with the Marine Conservation Alliance in Juneau, We’re also planning a bird data collection survey on another beach.
  • Working with RecycleSITKA, MAYEA has disposed of over 300 light bulbs in a way that does not release toxins, such as mercury. into the environment

Yakutat YAYEA Chapter

  • Focus Areas: Education on recycling and proper waste disposal, beach/coastal clean ups. The chapter has helped collect community support for an incinerator and advocated for tidal power in their region.
  • Local Sponsor: Yakutat Tlingit Tribe
  • From the Chapter: “Last year we were very focused on promoting the reusable canvas bags. We had monthly drawings for prizes like digital cameras and ipod speakers.” (Sharnel Vale, Spring 2008)
  • YAYEA kept 980 plastic bags out of the waste stream this year!