Gen Z for Sustainability engages youth in environmental activism

The new nonprofit, founded by a rising senior at William Penn Charter School, runs initiatives to protect the planet and empowers a younger audience to pitch in.

It was the thought of disappearing glaciers that pushed Elena Jadach to take action. 

After returning from a trip to Iceland with her family in summer 2022, Jadach grappled with what she’d learned from a tour guide–that the majestic landscape she’d just seen was melting away, at risk of erasure. 

“This to me was shocking. I didn’t understand why as a society, we weren’t doing anything about it,” says Jadach, 17, of Abington Township. “I wondered what I could do as a teenage girl.”

Jadach’s generation has inherited a planet with a poor bill of health: pollution, rising temperatures, and climate disasters. 

But rather than wallowing or turning a blind eye, Jadach rolled up her sleeves and got to work. She became an associate member of Abington Township’s Environmental Advisory Council in January 2023 and began collecting data around recycling in her community to better understand obstacles and opportunities for improvement. The following summer, Jadach attended the Yale Young Global Scholars program, participating in the Solving Global Challenges session. 

These experiences inspired her to go one step further, creating an organization to educate tweens and teens about climate change and give them tools to fight against it. 

“It really is up to my generation to put a stop to this,” says Jadach.

Gen Z for Sustainability: by Gen Z, for Gen Z

In December 2023, Gen Z for Sustainability became a 501(3)(c) nonprofit. Jadach runs the organization alongside her friend Sydney Gallagher, 17, a student at Abington Senior High School, who serves as its director. 

“I noticed how badly people were treating our planet with littering, not caring about the emissions they release into the air, not recycling correctly, and much more,” says Gallagher. “I wanted to do something about it and thought the best way would be to educate others about these issues and help them get a better understanding of how they are hurting our planet.”

Jadach’s brother, John, 15, is also an instrumental part of the group. Together, they have hosted events at schools, libraries, and other sites in the community. 

“We’re going into places where teens hang out,” Jadach says. “Community outreach has been so important for me. We truly care about getting people engaged.”

Over the past year, Gen Z for Sustainability partnered with The Halloween Helpers to donate and recycle Halloween costumes, set up TerraCycle bins at Penn Charter, supported local “Anything with a Plug” recycling events, and hosted a beach cleanup in Wildwood, among many other initiatives. 

Jadach and her team have run educational programs at Abington Middle School and Abington Township Public Library. At these and other community events, they engage a younger audience with activities like an interactive recycling quiz and biodegradable seed starter kits. They also share information around the harmful effects of single-use plastics and advocate for more sustainable choices. 

“I get excited to show young people ways they can change their habits to make Earth a cleaner place,” says Gallagher. 

Gen Z for Sustainability’s board also includes two seasoned environmental health and policy advocates who are parents and allies of the target demographic.

“I got involved because I was blown away by what Elena had put together and wanted to support her in her efforts however I could,” says Morgan Selkirk, who is Chief of Staff for Pennsylvania State Representative Ben Sanchez and serves as the organization’s treasurer.  “My kids are Gen Z, and I know that young people aren’t always given the credit that they deserve for their ideas and initiatives. I want to make sure that people like Elena, who are building the foundations of something impactful for the future, are given the support that they deserve.”

In addition to founding Gen Z for Sustainability, Jadach started the STEM & Sustainability Club at Penn Charter and participated in the school’s environmental stewardship and sustainability certificate program. In May, she received Penn Charter’s Robert F. Chapman OPC ’36 Fund for Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship Prize. She plans to pursue a degree in Environmental Science after high school. 

“As I deal with young adults, I’m starting to believe that this is the generation that will save us,” says Shannon Bumgarner, Gen Z for Sustainability’s secretary. ”Their ability to pivot quickly and not get bogged down in ‘what we’ve always done’ is an attitude I greatly respect.”

Feature photo: Elena and John Jadach. Courtesy of Elena Jadach