The stories of elders, renters, caretakers, and small-business owners are forms of knowledge that should inform how we build a more just and resilient city.
– Jaelyn
Jaelyn Carr is in a combined BA/MS program at Boston University, where she studies Environmental Analysis and Policy (BA) and Energy and Environment (MS), with an expected graduation in 2026. Her work spans youth leadership development and lobbying with Our Climate and the Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition, grassroots organizing to defend public green space with Franklin Park Defenders, federal research with the EPA, and designing accessible storytelling tools to bridge technical data with lived experience. Born and raised in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, Jaelyn’s lived experiences shaped her understanding of how systemic disinvestment compounds the impacts of climate disasters, from flooding and sea level rise to displacement and urban heat. She saw first-hand how natural disasters impact her communities as well as the lack of knowledge or motivation people have to act against the climate crisis.
With MISI, Jaelyn created a zine for renters to understand their rights to healthy living conditions. Demystifying municipal policies by giving people the information they need to navigate everyday systems, her goal is not only to increase access, but to tap into community wisdom and lived experiences – empowering people to reimagine these systems to better serve their communities.