Leia Lowery

Leia Lowery

Executive Director, The Climate Initiative

Leia is the Co-founder and Executive Director of The Climate Initiative, where she has spent 30 years building educational programs that connect young people to the places they live. Her work is rooted in a simple belief: that meaningful climate action starts locally, and that young people are more likely to show up for a place they actually know. That conviction led to the Gulf of Maine Field Studies, a place-based satellite program that became the foundation of The Climate Initiative and has drawn national attention for its approach to youth climate education.

A teacher, curriculum developer, and national speaker and trainer, Leia has spent her career helping young people develop the skills and confidence to act in the face of the climate crisis. For over 11 years, she has brought those same skills in communication and education to the Kennebunk Rotary Club (District 7780). She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science from Virginia Tech and is currently completing her PhD in Policy and Education Leadership at the Muskie School of Policy at the University of Southern Maine, where her research explores how community action projects shape young people’s sense of agency and identity.