Taking Action on Climate Change

Since graduating with a degree in social and economic development policy, Brian Gomez has become finance and operations manager of Sunrise Movement, a nonprofit organization mobilizing young activists to address climate change. He was a member of the Obama Foundation’s 2019 ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× cohort of the Community Leadership Corps, and is an adviser to the ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× Youth Alliance for Climate Action.

ā€œSunrise Movement [is] changing the debate on climate change and inspiring young people around the country to act,ā€ Gomez says. ā€œ[They are] putting the Green New Deal on the map and increasing the perception on the connection between jobs and environmental policy.ā€

With the Obama Foundation, Gomez worked to connect young, technologically skilled people and local business owners on the southwest side of ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× in order to share skills and modernize local businesses. With the ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× Youth Alliance for Climate Action, Gomez has been working on a solar campaign for ŗ£½ĒĀŅĀ× Public Schools and increasing the youth voice around environmental issues.

ā€œMy education at Illinois Tech made me adept and handling a variety of situations,ā€ Gomez says. ā€œFrom taking philosophy classes at Shimer College to taking an architecture class, I learned how to think critically, have a design-centered mindset, and back up my policy proposals with appropriate data.ā€

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