Celebrating the 2026 NWF E&E Youth Advisory Council session

The National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) Education & Engagement (E&E) team expresses our appreciation for our 2026 Youth Advisory Council (YAC). This enterprising group of six young leaders, ages 15-22, brought a shared commitment to environmental stewardship, education, and career preparation and planning.

Guiding Career Exploration at Eco-Schools in Detroit and Beyond

This year’s council was primarily composed of high school students from Detroit and surrounding areas in Southeastern Michigan, with two returning members from the 2025 council serving in a mentor role. Prior iterations of the council provided high level guidance to the full suite of the Education & Engagement team’s youth leadership programs, but this year, the council focused on a more tangible product—a new green career action card for use by schools participating in Eco-Schools U.S. in Michigan and across the country.

Early on, the council members shared their career exposure, exploration and planning experiences (or lack thereof) while in middle and high school. With a wide range of experiences, the council then brainstormed which activities would be beneficial to high schools that already incorporate a range of career learning opportunities, as well as those that do not. The council decided to create an Eco-Schools action card that focuses on guiding student-led action teams to create and sustain connections with local environmental community organizations as a way to facilitate learning about a variety of jobs, career pathways, and training and employment opportunities. 

The 2026 Youth Advisory Council

Council members were nominated and selected based on their proven leadership and dedication to environmental issues and community engagement. These members have created and served on school sustainability and environmental justice clubs; boards of delegates; and student advisory councils, committees and unions. At their ages, they have already led efforts to organize recycling programs and trash pickups, present to elementary and middle school students about sustainability, raise funds for school activities, and conduct outreach to the local community.

We thank the following members of this year’s Council and wish them all success on their academic and professional journeys:

• Aleena Siddiqui – Mentor; Pittsburgh, PA
• Maggie Handelman – Mentor; New York, NY
• Elli Koutmou – Ann Arbor, MI
• Gloria Stark – Midland, MI
• Raegan Leaks – Detroit, MI
• Zea Moghtader-Trumbull – Ann Arbor, MI

We appreciate the generosity and support of GM in sponsoring this year’s Education & Engagement Youth Advisory Council!