DENVER (KDVR) — Vice President Kamala Harris made another trip to Denver Friday.

It marks her third Colorado visit since she’s taken office and her second time in Colorado this year. Her first 2023 visit was in March. Like that visit, she was here to talk about climate change, but this time she met with a special group of stakeholders.

The vice president had one clear message for people in Denver: Young people are leading the way, and when it comes to climate change, and these leaders are not waiting for action.

“When you track nearly every movement in our country that has been about progress, we have had young leaders at the head,” Harris told a packed room of listeners at Northfield High School on Friday.

The vice president said action on climate change will be no different. She said student leaders at Denver Public Schools are leading the way for others nationwide.

“And as result of your activism, I say to the young leaders, last year, Denver Public Schools became one of the first school districts in our nation to adopt a climate action plan,” Harris said, as the room erupted with applause.

Students lead climate plan for Denver schools

Students detailed the work that went into getting the plan passed by their school board.

“After two years of attending school board meetings, drafting pages of climate goals and petitioning for over 4,000 signatures, our climate action policy passed in what is the largest school district in Colorado with more than 92,000 students,” said Gabriel Nagel, a recent graduate of East High School and past co-leader of DPS Students for Climate Action.

The student plan addressed issues like reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing environmental injustice and improving the use of clean energy.

The new graduates who were instrumental in drafting the plan say it’s an honor to have the nation’s spotlight on the work they did with their classmates.

“From community solar, powering family homes, to electric buses, DPS is a national leader in climate justice,” Nagel said.

Another recent graduate who helped lead the student climate group recognized the importance of the vice president’s visit.

“As new voters and the future leaders of this country, it means the world that Vice President Kamala Harris has come here to highlight youth voices tackling climate change,” said Mariah Rosensweig, also a recent graduate of East High School and past co-leader of DPS Students for Climate Action.

Although students said they were honored by the visit, they did send a firm reminder to all the lawmakers in the room, saying climate action is important — even when there aren’t important elections around the corner.