As a young person, it’s frustrating when it doesn’t feel like your voice is being heard.

But it’s exciting when we are heard, and that’s what’s happening with the recent launch of the American Climate Corps, an innovative project that addresses two pressing concerns for young people like me — saving the planet and getting a job.

I’ve been a community organizer and activist in Madison since I was in high school, actively trying to counter the misconception that because I’m young, my opinion doesn’t matter. As the communications director for UW–Madison College Democrats, I work to engage other young people on issues ranging from sexual violence to the climate crisis.

As someone who expects to live in Wisconsin for many years, the future of our state matters deeply to me. I was born and raised in Madison, in a family that values Wisconsin’s proud progressive tradition. Growing up, I remember learning about how former Sen. Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day in 1970 and being inspired by his commitment to our planet.

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My generation is the one that will inherit this planet from the generations that are currently making decisions about its future. Polls show that almost two-thirds of young people believe climate change is a major threat, while nearly three-fourths of them can point to ways in which climate change is affecting their local communities. We didn’t make the political and economic decisions that led to the crisis, but we are stuck with their repercussions.

We could choose anger and bitterness. Or we could choose action. I’m inspired by other young climate activists, from Greta Thunberg to the young people in Montana who won a groundbreaking lawsuit this past summer. Like them, I choose action. That’s why I was so excited about the launch of the ACC.

As my generation is making pivotal decisions that will affect the rest of our lives, it’s encouraging to know we don’t have to choose between good-paying jobs and careers that will make a difference. The ACC will provide jobs for 20,000 young people, most of which won’t require prior experience or college degrees. More than that, it will provide us with training for lifelong careers.

I’m also grateful that the ACC has been designed from its outset as an inclusive and diverse project. The ACC prioritizes communities that have been disproportionately affected by the climate crisis, communities that should be at the center of climate solutions but historically haven’t been.

Possible career paths, according to the White House, include “restoring coastal wetlands to protect communities from storm surges and flooding, deploying clean energy, managing forests to improve health and prevent catastrophic wildfires, implementing energy efficient solutions to cut energy bills for hardworking families, and more.”

And it’s been popular. In the first three weeks after the program was announced, it saw more than 42,000 sign-ups of people who were interested in the program.

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Decades ago, as science confirming human-caused climate change started to emerge, its repercussions must have felt far off. Those in power were faced with tradeoffs between what was economically in their best interests at the time and what would benefit future generations. Too often, they choose the present and their own self-interest over the future.

But in recent years, there’s been a major shift. The impacts of climate change are now all around us. Here in Wisconsin, we saw stretches of unprecedented extreme heat this last summer. People in our state face health risks and property damage from a wide range of climate-related threats, including air pollution, wildfire smoke, PFAS, lead, toxic algae, droughts and flooding.

As the varying impacts of the climate crisis become more immediate and more tangible, solar power and electric vehicles are also becoming cheaper and more accessible. Clean energy jobs are booming. We no longer have to choose between tackling the climate crisis and growing our economy — we can have both.

By creating jobs for young people to fight the climate crisis, the Biden administration is helping shape our futures, so that we can in turn shape the future of the planet.

Whitman Bottari is a sophomore studying political science and sociology. Bottari also serves as the communications director for the UW –Madison College Democrats.