Ep 152 Montserrat Hidalgo - Environmental Justice Through the Gold Award

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Montserrat Hidalgo, a recent high school graduate and environmental justice advocate. Montserrat shares her journey from Girl Scout Gold Award recipient to an emerging leader in her community. Learn how her project tackled urban heating and environmental racism in South East Los Angeles, the collaborative research that fueled her work, and the global connections she forged.

About Our Guest:
Montserrat Hidalgo is a recent graduate of South Gate High School and will be attending Williams College in the fall to double major in Environmental Studies and Biology. She has been a Girl Scout from 5th grade through 12th grade and completed her Gold Award by addressing urban heating and environmental racism in South East Los Angeles.

As a passionate environmental justice advocate, Montserrat founded Youth Action!, an environmental justice club at her high school. She also collaborated with Communities for a Better Environment (cbecal.org), a statewide environmental justice organization, to conduct NASA-funded research with UC Irvine and Chapman University on hot spots, air quality, and green spaces in South East LA. This groundbreaking work not only laid the foundation for her Gold Award project but also connected her with a global network of changemakers.

Key Takeaways from This Episode:

• The Inspiration: How Montserrat's experiences in South East LA motivated her to tackle environmental justice issues.

• The Gold Award Project: The impact of her work addressing urban heating and environmental racism and how it serves as a model for others.

• Youth Leadership: How she founded Youth Action! and collaborated with key organizations to make a difference.

• Actionable Advice: Tips for youth and community members looking to create meaningful environmental change.

Links and Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

• Communities for a Better Environment: cbecal.org

• Learn more about the Girl Scout Gold Award: girlscouts.org/en/our-program/highest-awards/gold-award.html

• For more information about NASA-funded research: nasa.gov