Many teens are concerned about climate change and ready to speak up on the issue.
“Young people have moral clarity about the climate crisis because they haven’t adapted to business as usual,” says Miranda Massie of the New York-based Climate Museum.
In July, the museum launched a climate action leadership program to help teenagers channel their concern into action.
Participants studied climate change and developed ways to respond through art and activism.
For example, Ellery Spikes helped create and distribute a climate justice lesson plan to schools. Now she plans to push for mandatory climate education in New York.
“My goal is to make sure that that happens before I graduate high school, which will be in 2024,” she says.
Meanwhile, Libby Riggs wrote poetry during the program. As a teen with a disability, she wants to use art to highlight the ways climate and disability justice intersect.
“One of my goals as a writer is to inspire others, teaching them to view the world in a different perspective,” she says.
Massie says when young people are mentored and encouraged to make their voices heard, “what they do is absolutely mind-blowing in response to that.”
Reporting credit: ChavoBart Digital Media