Sustainability Chats - YCAF: Ishmael Dekrahn

In this Sustainability Chat, we sit down with Ishmael to explore his journey with a Youth Climate Action project.

Ishmael was awarded a 2025 Youth Climate Action Fund microgrant for a Viterbo Freecycle event held in May at Viterbo University. This event championed sustainability and promoted the principles of a circular economy by giving new life to items that might otherwise have ended up in landfills.

With the guidance and support of his mentors and project partners, Ishmael helped organize the community Freecycle event as a way to connect people who no longer needed certain items with those who did. The concept is simple yet powerful especially in transitional spaces like college dorms, where people frequently move in and out.

About the YCAF Sustainability Chat Video & Blog Author:

Meg Erdenebat - Intern

The YCAF Sustainability Chat Series is compiled by the Sustainability Institute Program Intern - Meg Erdenebat. Meg is a college student from Mongolia who is currently at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse through their international student exchange program. Meg is working towards a bachelor's degree in Environmental Development at her main college in Japan.

"I am excited to be a part of the Sustainability Institute. I’ve just completed an academic year at UWL. My major is Environmental Development. Over the next two months, I’ll be working with the Sustainability Institute on their Sustainability Chats series interviewing Youth Climate Action fund recipients. This is my first job in the field, and while I’m both excited and a bit overwhelmed, I’m committed to doing my best to contribute."

The City of La Crosse was awarded a second round of funds in 2025 by Bloomberg Philanthropies allocating $85,000 for YCAF microgrants. This program is being coordinated by the City of La Crosse with the help of the Sustainability Institute and the La Crosse Area Community Foundation.