Tucson teen's climate work earns him a Youth in Action slot as national 4-H spokesperson

An Arizona 4-H member will spend the next year as a national spokesman for the organization after his work to address climate change caught the eye of the National 4-H Council.

The council this week named Owen Brosanders, 18, of the Healthy Living Ambassadors Program at Tucson Village Farm, one of four Youth in Action winners. The honor earns Brosanders a $5,000 scholarship for college or trade school and a course of professional development coaching.

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“This recognition means so much to me, not just personally, but because it gives me a platform to share my story with other 4-H members,” Brosanders said.

“If my experience can inspire even one other young person to tackle the environmental challenges in their own community, then this award will have served its greatest purpose.”

He is one of just four winners. The other are Antonio Becker, 19, of Minnesota; Esther Bonney, 18, of Maryland; and Graycie Montfort, 17, of Texas. Each of the four teens created platforms for change, inspiring their peers and strengthening their communities, according to a news release.

Brosanders was spurred to civic engagement by extreme desert heat.

In 2024, as a Tucson co-lead for the Arizona Youth Climate Coalition, Brosanders helped craft a climate resolution passed by Tucson Unified School District. Goals adopted by the district include creating a baseline greenhouse gas report this year, reducing bus fleet emissions and switching to electric vehicles by 2035.

“Without strong solutions like these, we will face even more adverse effects. I feel it is necessary to set lofty goals like these to change the idea of what is possible,” Brosanders said.

“Implementing this in TUSD is just the first step. In the future I hope to see other school districts doing the same. Sometimes you have to aim high to shift what people believe is achievable.”

The senior at the city’s academically elite University High School is a member of the Tucson Unified School District Bond Oversight Committee, which oversees projects included in a $480 million voter-approved bond package.

In April, Junior Achievement of Arizona named Brosanders among its 2025 18 Under 18, youths the organization honors for using “ingenuity, generosity and entrepreneurial spirit to make a difference in Arizona and beyond,” and in May, Tucson’s Metropolitan Education Commission named him its youth of the year.

Brosanders credits 4-H for giving him a chance to test his limits.

“The 4-H style of ‘learning by doing’ threw me into real-world situations where I had to figure things out, make decisions, and sometimes fail forward. When I walked into that first Bond Oversight Committee meeting, I wasn't intimidated, because 4-H had already taught me that my voice and perspective matter, regardless of my age,” he said.

The Youth in Action winners are good examples of how 4-H members can make a difference, said Jill Bramble, president and CEO of thre National 4-H Council.

“The 2026 4-H Youth in Action winners turned challenges into opportunities and are making a meaningful difference in their communities. With their resilience and determination, Antonio, Esther, Owen and Graycie show they are Beyond Ready to be productive and engaged leaders,” Bramble said.

For information about joining 4-H, see our membership page here. To make a tax-deductible donation to 4-H, see the Arizona 4-H Youth Foundation website. See this webpage to complete an application to be a 4-H adult volunteer.