It’s not every day young people get the opportunity to take their ideas and turn them into working projects, backed by international funding and practical support along the way.
For 10 Tauranga rangatahi groups, that opportunity is now a reality, after their climate projects were selected to receive microgrants of between $2000 and $8500 through the Youth Climate Action Fund.
The fund is an international initiative established by Bloomberg Philanthropies that supports people aged 15 to 24 to design and lead projects addressing climate issues they care about. Tauranga is one of 300 cities worldwide, and one of only two in New Zealand, selected for the fund in 2026, with Tauranga City Council securing funding for the city’s involvement.
Spanning diverse topics, the funded projects reflect the breadth of ways local young people are finding to make a positive difference in their communities. Projects include:
- Sea lettuce reuse and seagrass restoration.
- Research into climate preparedness for older residents.
- Community-led coastal erosion monitoring.
- A public education campaign focused on plastic bottle caps.
- Restoring native biodiversity.
- Raised garden beds and gardening workshops to support local food production.
- Bike repair and redistribution.
- An event promoting cycling as an alternative to private vehicle use.
- Expanding a student-led environmental club.
- A youth-led documentary exploring climate impacts on food resilience in lower-income communities.
The successful fund recipients came together at a celebration event on Monday, hosted by Mayor Mahé Drysdale and Welcome Bay Ward Councillor Hautapu Baker, to acknowledge their achievements and mark the beginning of their projects.
For the young people behind the projects, the funding means ideas they may have previously only discussed or imagined can now become something tangible.
Ōtūmoetai College students Ella Wilce, Grace King and Ella Smith are part of the school's environmental committee, which has been working to restore a gully area behind the school. They are continuing the work of students and teachers who, over the past 20 years, have worked to remove pest plants and return the area to native bush.
Ella Smith says they are hoping to train 10 to 15 new students to join the committee.
“It was really amazing to receive that money, because we know that it's going to do so much good in our gully, and in our school and wider community. I know that teachers that have retired were working on this project, and we are lucky enough to be at the crux of it, where we actually get to start seeing the change that's happening.”
Mount Maunganui College students Sadie MacArthur and Courtney Dromgool are exploring the potential reuse of sea lettuce as a fertiliser, as well as the restoration of seagrass by conducting field surveys in the harbour.
Sadie says they are looking forward to working with subject matter experts and building community awareness of the importance of seagrass.
“I first learned about seagrass and sea lettuce while researching waterways for a science course, and I thought it was something that could actually help our harbour. Courtney and I got talking about it and decided it could be something the council might find useful. I'm very excited to work with scientists and learn more about our area and our harbour.”
University of Waikato students Ayla Montgomerie and Tiana Holland are planning to install phone mounts at the beach so visitors can upload photos to CoastSnap that will help scientists monitor coastal erosion.
Tiana says the project has already been a valuable learning experience, and the pair are excited about the next steps. Ayla adds that community participation will be key to the project's success.
“We want to make sure the community is actually participating in this, and hopefully get some community events and awareness to try and get people involved,” Ayla says.
Mayor Mahé says the range of projects highlights the positive impact young people can have when given the opportunity and support to act.
“It’s fantastic to see young people take initiative, identifying issues that matter to them, and coming up with practical ways to address those. These projects show that climate action doesn't have to start big – it can begin with one person, a good idea, and the support to make it happen.
“Climate action is a shared responsibility, and by supporting youth-led projects we're working on practical solutions for today while investing in the next generation of community leaders. We look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”
Tauranga City Council and partner organisations will support the rangatahi as they develop and deliver their projects by April 2027.
Each project group will be matched with a council staff mentor whose skills and experience align with their project area, and the cohort of young project leaders will meet regularly to collaborate and work through challenges together. Along the way, they'll gain valuable skills in budgeting and project management.
Learn more Youth Climate Action Fund.