Students are stepping up and taking action on climate change after the Maui wildfires
The recent Maui wildfires brought devastation across the entire island. With thousands displaced and hundreds missing, the Maui community is distraught– and 13-year-old Kaliko Teruya is no exception. At only 13 years old, Kaliko Teruya was raising awareness about the effects of climate change far before these fires. Teruya and other young students between the ages of 9 and 18 sued the state in 2022 because of its excessive use of fossil fuels. Currently, the case Nawahine v. the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation is set to go to trial next summer.
Teruya isn’t the only student standing up and speaking out about climate change and its effects on our planet. Students around the country are doing the same by using their mics for good.
Keep reading to find out more and discover how educators play an active role in empowering students to take action about topics they are passionate about.
“The fire was made so much worse due to climate change… How many more natural disasters have to happen before grown-ups realize the urgency?” – 13-year-old Kaliko Teruya
Students are speaking up and taking action
As of Aug. 24, 2023, the hashtag #mauifire2023 has over 42.5 million views on TikTok. Maui residents are also using TikTok to spread awareness about what’s going on behind the scenes in Maui, and they’re sharing their experiences and stories.
Students are showing up in person and on social media to show support and bring awareness to how climate change has made this event all the more devastating. Gen Z for Change, @genzforchange (an account with over 75,000 followers), has been using its Instagram account to raise awareness for what the islanders are going through and how other students can help.
Gen Z for Change is a group of young activists like Teruya, who use “online platforms to effect positive social change.” Executive director of Gen Z for Change, Elise Joshi, shared “We see what’s happening with climate change, and how it affects everything else…. We’re experiencing a mix of anger and fear, and we’re finally channeling it into hope in the form of collective action.”
Students want their concerns about climate change heard, and they’re doing it through informative videos on social media platforms like TikTok, suing governments over fossil fuel use, holding protests, marching, and more.
Source: The Inclusion Solution
Student activists’ thoughts on Climate Change
What are student activists saying about climate change? Here are a few powerful thoughts about climate change from student leaders in the activist community.
- “We really need adults to wake up. If we don’t fix this now, there’s not going to be a future.” – 13-year-old Kaliko Teruya
- “The fact that kids are taking this action is incredible… But it’s sad that it had to come to us. We’re the last resort.” – 15-year-old Badge Busse, one of the plaintiffs in a Montana case where Montana youths came together to pass a law that makes sure Montana considers climate change when thinking about approving fossil fuel projects.
- “Do you think I really want to be on a stand saying, like, ‘I don’t have a future… As a 16-year-old who just wants to live my life and hang out with my friends and eat good food, I don’t want to be doing that. And yet I am, because I care about this world. I care about the Earth and care about my family. I care about my future children.” – 16-year-old Mesina DiGrazia-Roberts, a plaintiff in the case against Hawai’i.
Your students don’t need to be known as youth activists to share their voices or take action on topics that are important to them. Thanks to the power of social media, they can share their voices and thoughts by simply reposting photos or videos, tweeting what’s on their minds, sharing memes, and more.
TSI’s Take
Students have given social media an even deeper meaning as they use it to find their news and raise awareness for what they’re passionate about. With students experiencing greater levels of fear, guilt, and outrage about the impacts of climate change than other generations, it only makes sense that they’re turning to social media to spark change and inspire their peers.
Whether they’re banding together to peacefully protest or using their mics for good to raise awareness about topics they care about, students are working together to create change around the world and within their own communities.
Empower your students to use their mic for good online and offline by encouraging them to stand up for issues they are passionate about. Check out our recent blog where we share strategies for lifting up student voices.
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The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in empowering students by understanding students. Through #WinAtSocial, our gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, we equip students, educators, and families to navigate their social world – in the classroom and beyond, online and offline – in healthy, high-character ways. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips, rather than scares and restricts. We incorporate timely topics about social media, tech use, and current events that are impacting student well-being and learning. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach life skills for the modern day, capture student voice, and provide school leaders with actionable insights. Through these insights, students play an essential role in school efforts to support their own health, happiness, and future success as we enable high-impact teaching, meaningful family conversations, and a healthy school culture.