When executive director of iMatter and Roots and Shoots mentor Larry Kraft heard the Roots and Shoots team had won an award, he said he felt proud as he firmly believes the teans’ work deserves more recognition.

“The group was nominated because of the fantastic work they’re doing and for standing up for their future and for standing up to older generations,” Kraft said.“It’s really momentous what’s happening, It’s really powerful.”

Junior Roots and Shoots member Nathan Kempf said the group presented a bill to the City Council and received an award for it.

“We’re getting an award for our efforts in the environments form a company called Green Schools out in Boston, and we’re flying out in a couple of weeks to go get it.”

Kraft said the Roots and Shoots group will attend the Boston Youth Summit to receive their award.

“The Roots and Shoots group was nominated for The Outstanding School-led Project in Climate Action award, and they were selected as one of the three honorees of that award,” Kraft said. “The award ceremony occurs and several of the Roots and Shoots members and myself are going to Boston toward the end of the month for the summit so they can meet some other youth summit activists and hear some interesting speakers and also for the award ceremony.”

Sophomore Roots and Shoots member Lukas Wrede said Roots and Shoots works to inspire others to make changes in the community.

“Our goal is to try and get as many people in the community involved,” Wrede said.

“For example, Philip Djerf and I went to an elementary school, and we presented about global climate change. The fifth graders seemed really interested and we’re looking to encourage people to make a Roots and Shoots group or something like that in the middle school,” Wrede said.

According to Wrede, Roots and Shoots works beyond the school.

“It’s not a club for the school, it’s a club for the community. We’re not just doing things for the school. We’re doing things for St. Louis Park and even the state. I think that’s pretty cool,” Wrede said.

Kempf said he believes the importance of Roots and Shoots comes from giving youth an important voice regarding climate change.

“It empowers the younger generation toward working toward a goal that we’re all going to need to start working toward, and it’s good to get a start while we’re young,” Kempf said.