Shaping Tomorrow: Empowering Youth Through TDM

Discover the importance of integrating TDM into the mindset of today's younger generation. Explore the strategies of two leading organizations as they engage students in reshaping commuting patterns and promoting sustainable transportation choices for the future. Uncover innovative techniques for driving behavioral change among the next generation, while navigating the challenges and meeting the needs of youth populations. Join us for an informative conversation on paving the way for a more sustainable future through proactive TDM initiatives.

Meet the speakers

Rachel DeCordoba (she/her) is a Program Manager with King County Metro, where she supports agency initiatives to improve transit accessibility, safety, and education for youth and all people. Within Metro’sYouth Mobility Program, some of these efforts include school engagement, regional agency coordination, and transit education curriculum development.  

Rachel studied environmental science at the University of Washington and urban sustainability at the University of Leeds in the UK. Her background in community engagement and local government sustainability informs her inclusive and climate-forward approach to her work. Having grown up riding transit pretty much everywhere, she feels lucky to support today’s young people in doing the same. 

Amy Thompson (she/her) has been an advocate for Safe Routes to Schools for over 15 years and is passionate about getting more kids on bicycles. She is currently the Lead Coordinator for the Boulder Valley School District’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program, which has been recognized with the Oberstar Award for excellence in SRTS programming. As a parent volunteer, Amy started the first Bike to School Day event in Colorado for students with disabilities and she led her kids’ elementary school to first place in the nation in the Clorox Greenworks Walk to School Challenge. Amy has also served as a content coordinator for 303Cycling, a community-based cycling news website in Colorado. Amy serves as a board member for ItCouldBeMe, a non-profit that advocates for road safety. In her free time, Amy enjoys groading, riding her e-bike to work, hiking, cross-country skiing, and spending time with her family, friends, and two dogs in Boulder, Colorado.