The California Academy of Sciences abruptly dissolved a youth group for climate change and moved to fire its staff coordinator earlier this year after several teenage members distributed flyers in solidarity with the museum workers’ union.
The museum created Youth Action for the Planet in October 2023 as “an environmental action hub” for young people who care about the natural world to sharpen leadership and advocacy skills.
The pilot program enrolled 14 volunteers between ages 13 and 18 who were interested in “youth climate activism,” said Vivienne Yu, 18, a volunteer who is now a society and environment major at the University of California, Berkeley.
The teenagers were matched with the Cal Academy staff coordinator Aleks Liou, who holds a Ph.D in youth activism and intergenerational solidarity. Liou was let go in September but continues to be paid while the museum and its union negotiate the issue.
Between the group’s October 2023 establishment and June 25 of this year, its members stayed busy: They attended the Bay Area Youth Climate Summit, held a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day panel with around 60 teen climate activists, launched an Earth Day pop-up, worked on a Youth Action for the Planet logo, and generally set the direction of the fledgling program.
Liou, who was featured in the museum’s June staff spotlight, got a $249,986 grant in August from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services to keep the program going. The grant went to the museum.
But on June 25, a trio of Youth Action for the Planet members distributed fliers supporting Cal Academy employees, who voted to unionize in July 2023 but are still without a contract. The three youth group members handed out the flyers, which they designed themselves, to visitors, and also left some on museum benches to spotlight wage disparities within Cal Academy, according to a 17-year-old San Francisco high school student and one of the three members.
Specifically, the fliers pointed to the salary of the museum’s executive director, Scott Sampson, who took home $632,626 in the 2023 fiscal year.
The teenagers tell Mission Local that showing solidarity with the union was their own idea, and Liou did not sanction or encourage it.
Backlash, the teens say, came swiftly. After 9 p.m. on the same day, all 14 youth members received a call or voicemail from a Cal Academy administrator, asking them not to come to the building for the rest of the week. Liou recalled that the next day, “basically, I was told I shouldn’t do anything related to my job.”
The four youths Mission Local talked to said they never returned to the building. And the youth group never officially met again. Academy management formally dissolved the Youth Action for the Planet program in late October. Liou, who obtained the nearly quarter-million-dollar federal grant in August, was let go in September, and is still negotiating a severance package through the Cal Academy Workers United union.
The Cal Academy, which has been in a financial crisis, attempted to “restore” the $249,986 grant money that Liou won to the federal institution, according to an Oct. 21 bargaining update written by the Cal Academy Workers United. The museum now plans to use the money on a new education program for indigenous youth, according to an Oct. 28 statement sent to Mission Local.
The California Academy of Sciences declined to comment on the reasons for firing Liou, the program manager for Youth Action for the Planet, citing “personnel matters” and a “legal obligation to maintain” confidentiality.
As for the youth program, the museum said in a statement that, after piloting the program for six months, “the Academy identified the need to rebuild it” to better “center our education programming on historically marginalized communities,” and would create an “evolved version” of the program for indigenous youth.
After publication, the museum sent a statement noting that Liou’s position is being negotiated with the union, and saying that the “evolution” of the youth program was “in no way affected by the actions of the teens described in the article.”
“The Academy has not and will not tokenize or retaliate against youth,” the statement continued.
The teens aren’t buying it. “There was no warning of any kind,” said another member who is under 18 and who expected “youth autonomy” when she joined the program. “We didn’t realize that was off-limits. We just want to learn about what it’s like to be part of a movement.”
Yu, who as a small child used to frequent the Cal Academy with her family, said she was “really disappointed” that the museum “tokenized” them. “I think a public apology would be the first thing,” she said.
Surabhi Chinta, a youth member who now majors in pre-human biology and society at the University of California, Los Angeles, said she now realizes the action of the teens didn’t exactly line up with the museum’s idea of climate activism. “For us, climate activism was going beyond just talking about the science. We wanted to talk about the social aspects as well,” said Chinta, who said the museum never formally notified her and the other young people that the program was over.
Liou’s disciplinary notice said they violated the museum’s employee policy by liking the youths’ non-museum Instagram account “@youthsaction4planet.” The notice also stated that a cartoon Liou kept at the office — depicting young people telling world leaders “You fucked up!” and world leaders responding “So inspiring!” — violated the museum’s code of conduct for profanity.
Also cited were Liou’s usage of non-museum Google accounts to talk with youth. “Having secrets with youth” violates the prohibitions, the notice stated.
It’s “very alarming” that they are using a “technicality” to terminate me, said Liou. “To me, that implies that I was the mastermind behind all of this.”
After learning that the program would be shut down, five of the youth are now launching their own organization, Youth Riot Network, to focus on climate and broader social issues.
Certainly bodes poorly for the proposed “education program for indigenous youth.” Which would be taught by who, exactly?
Love the spectacle of large institutions supporting kids right up until they have a mind of their own and then remembering they actually dislike errant children. Get off my green roof!
The kids seem to understand that climate justice is inseparable from other social issues. That suppression of labor is a key way the status quo is maintained.
They’re much smarter than museum management.
The irony of them terminating this program over a silly little cartoon and youth-led direct action is actually astounding. What a shame.
This is the same Cal Academy that supported bringing cars back to JFK Drive so, yeah, paying lip service to youth-led climate activism checks out. Sigh.
Is the director still commuting from Marin?
Thanks for reporting on this. Man, corporate weaseldom infects every damn thing.
Truly despicable for a Science organization; both anti-unionand anti-climate activism. I just tossed my recently received Cal Academy membership renewal letter into recycling. AND, if Exective Director Scott Sampson makes $632,636 a year (fact-checked with CharityNavigator.org), no surprise that the “non-profit” Cal Academy is in financial crisis. Shameful. I’ll take the grandkids to the Exploratorium.
Important story, thank you. Post an image of the offending union-supporting flier, please. One factual bridge is missing: you say the employees unionized in 2023 but are awaiting a contract, then you say that Liou is negotiating severance with the Cal Acad Workers Union. Could you clarify the details of union presence at Cal Academy?
Time to cancel my yearly membership.
Better than canceling. Drop by the membership booth when it’s time to renew and have an incredibly uncomfortable conversation.
Indeed. And more than that, It might be time for concerned members to organize. A strong membership base makes a more democratic organization than does a few elite patrons.
Well good for the kids for starting a new program on their own – spunk, smarts, and determination! The Academy deserves a big ole black eye over this bullshit and maybe a legal “chat” about retaliation that been decorated with a cob salad of feigned “concern.” Jackasses.
My membership was up for renewal and I had been putting it off. Now I’ll put it off for good.
This prick makes over $600k … barf.
BOYCOTT
Scott Sampson didn’t like his salary being called out! Haha
Sincerely,
Won’t Support This Museum
Wow. So this guy got a grant for this specific group, and the museum not only fired him for the kids deciding to support the union without his knowledge or approval, but then kept the grant money that was given to him specifically for this youth group. Good reminder to never give my money to this museum. I hope the entity that gave the grant sues them, too.
Sounds like a red state high school handling dissent from socially active students. Boo to Academy of Sciences. Also like all non-profits, staff barely gets by financially and Ex. Dir. sits pretty on Hundreds of thousands and probably micro manages.
Plus How much of that grants is going to get used for what it was awarded for? Or go to EX.Dir bonus?
I fully support these kids, and I think most of San Francisco should. This is our place, not to be taken hostage by some snobby academics who make an outrageous amount of money… but then again, this has been the bluprint for San Francisco fo the last decade. Boycott this place until these people are gone and replaced by people who are more conscious towards the community… and it’s younger members. Time to make a change.
People are really glossing over the “was contacting the minors via their private accounts” portion of the story. Even if it was innocent, there are safeguards in place for everyone’s protection (the students, teacher, and institution).
“But her emails”
Safeguards that are often used only in hindsight and don’t take into account how anyone under 30 actually communicates.
I work at the Academy is this is an irresponsible headline. The program was not cut because of the teen shows solidarity with the union. It was cut because it wasn’t being properly managed. Aleks has yet to take any responsibility for their part in this and has let this story run wild. Over 500 people work at the Academy and this is a slap in the face. To read someone comment that they are going to go to the membership booth and have an uncomfortable conversation is disheartening at best and alarming at worst. Aleks doesn’t care about that. They only care about themselves and trying to protect their reputation.
So many bad actors here. Coordinator Aleks Liou should not be recruiting from his students. But if he does show bad judgment, management needs to allow for freedom of speech and remember that programming is the most important thing. Otherwise, why do they exist?
Unbelievable! I too grew up at Cal Academy…in the Before times. 1960s. I am moving back home next year. I will NOT join. Top pay of $600+k????? And punishes the students for thinking for themselves. How Dare They!!! And the staff, for not knowing???? Our freedoms are dying. So NOT San Francisco. Great the kids started their own project. I will support THEM! Very angry. Yeah, indigenous is QUITE popular. Here I am! Chochenyo, Patwin, Saclan, plus. Do NOT misapply grant money. SO ANGRY!!! PS High hopes Lurie will investigate. Being FROM Our Fair City and all.
If ever there stood a monument to a future hope,drawn on history to compel,- apon it- set atop it- will be public finger wagging.
I hope someone will firmly assert the function, funds, and purpose of the place. When is a quarter million not worth legitimately following guidelines and communicating directives to aid in successful learning?
You try and do something nice for kids and of course they have to ruin it for themselves.
No, the kids are clearly the adults in the room here.
Imagine telling on yourself like this.