OUR MISSION & VALUES: Start: Empowerment is a BIPOC-led social and environmental justice education non-profit working with youth, educators, activists, and community members to implement a justice-focused education and programming in schools and community spaces. Our mission is to use education as a tool to achieve social-environmental justice and liberation for all. OUR BEGINNING: After realizing the lack of environmental justice education available to students in NYC both inside and outside the classroom in the fall of 2019, S:E was born to create justice-oriented curriculums that could be easily accessible and infused into pre-existing classroom environments and subject areas. We thought it was extremely important that students are aware of the environmental racism present in this country, how the climate crisis disproportionately impacts the Global South, and solutions going forward. Since our beginning, we have been recognized by actress Regina Hall to the National Geographic Foundation and worked with multiple entities such as the (public) High School for Teaching and Professions, the Horace Mann (private) School, Summer on a Hill, New York University's (NYU) 'College & Career Lab' and 'Office of Sustainability,' and the NYC Department of Education's Office of Sustainability. Join us! OUR TEAM: This organization was proudly founded by 2 BIPOC womxn who are both graduates of NYU. HOW YOU CAN HELP! Join us to champion transformative K–12 classrooms by: • Following Start:Empowerment (SE:) on LinkedIN • Spreading the word about S:E • Connecting us to new schools to increase our reach • Fuel our work with a generous donation to offer our services for free • Bridge new community partnerships to strengthen community connections