Meet The Team: Aja Two Crows, Community Initiatives Associate

This month’s “Meet the Team” spotlight features Aja Two Crows, Community Initiatives Associate at The New York Climate Exchange. Aja’s background spans environmental education, regenerative design, Indigenous knowledge systems, and climate storytelling. At The Exchange, she supports a range of programs that connect climate justice with community engagement, from youth learning experiences to public storytelling initiatives. Whether she’s partnering with NYCHA residents or rethinking how we talk about climate through an equity lens, Aja centers a place-based, community-first approach in everything she does.

What does your role as Community Initiatives Associate at The Exchange entail?

I work on programming across several areas: youth education, arts and culture, community-based research, and our NYCHA Resident Climate Action Grants program. These programs represent the first steps in The Exchange’s mission to confront the climate crisis through a multidisciplinary approach—one that’s grounded in place, responsive to communities, and always evolving.

What’s one project you’re especially excited about right now? Why does it matter?

I’m really excited about our upcoming Climate Story Project, which launches during Climate Week 2025. The Exchange believes storytelling is a powerful tool for culture change—whether it’s helping scientists convey the meaning behind their work, giving young people a platform to share their experiences, bringing human context to policy discussions, or preserving wisdom from our neighbors. The project will include a living archive of climate stories, live events, and capacity-building training for a diverse range of storytellers. Our first series will focus on the connection between human health and climate and is supported by the Wellcome Trust.

What gives you hope about the future of climate action?

With the work we do, I get to see how much soul and grit goes into environmental justice efforts. It’s deeply hopeful to witness the commitment of my colleagues, our partners, and so many others who are actively working to protect this planet—for our species, for all living things, and for generations to come.

Do you have a climate-related book you’d recommend?

Yes—Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Learning from Indigenous Practices for Environmental Sustainability, edited by Melissa K. Nelson and Dan Shilling. I truly believe that Indigenous approaches to sustainability are essential—and often under-tapped—resources in confronting the climate crisis. If you liked Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, I highly recommend this one.

What’s one thing you do to live more sustainably?

Voting! Advocating for voting rights and participating in elections—especially local ones—is a critical form of climate action. There’s a reason so many communities have been historically and currently excluded from voting: it’s powerful. Voting also helps me stay informed about what’s happening around me and where public dollars are going.

Which of The Exchange’s partners are you especially excited to work with?

Solar One! We’re partnering with them on our first youth education pilot to support green energy education through hands-on, community-based learning. Their team is incredible, and their programming offers a really thoughtful educational arc that connects students to both learning and workforce opportunities.

What’s your favorite thing about Governors Island?

Makina Café! Eating Eritrean-Ethiopian food on the lawn at Governors Island is honestly one of life’s greatest pleasures.

Tell us a fun fact about you!

I love making clothes! I especially enjoy using fabric from FabScrap, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that recycles and repurposes donated textiles.