Kennebunkport Climate Initiative

A non-partisan, solutions based organization pushing for local, tangible solutions to a global challenge.

Mission: Empower youth voices for climate action.

Goal: “We believe youth are the key to solving the climate challenge because they influence and foster climate concern among their parents, communities, and decision-makers. Our goal is to develop a cohesive youth voice that influences decision-makers to embrace climate solutions. KCI aims to educate, empower, and activate 10 million youth to reach this goal by 2025.”

Why Kennebunkport? Kennebunkport, Maine is a special place. It’s the quintessential Maine town; complete with a small fishing village, a working harbor, beautiful beaches and an iconic lighthouse set against a rocky landscape. It’s also an endangered place. Kennebunkport abuts the Gulf of Maine, which is warming faster than any other body of water its size in the world. In 80 years, if we do nothing, much of this iconic New England town will be underwater. While we are a small town on Maine on the frontline of climate change, we could also be any town in this country… we are all facing futures impacted by climate change. But by bonding together we can decide what that future looks like.

Connected with KCT: Rooted in Trust in Education, this organization came out of our Gulf of Maine Studies course at the University of New England and Kennebunk High. Students were able to engage with the community, study threats facing our coastal ecological systems, and design solutions.