In Your Community

IN YOUR COMMUNITY

IN YOUR COMMUNITY

It’s up to us to make a difference in our communities–and volunteering is a great way to get involved. Tons of organizations teach and mentor young people about how to take direct action in their communities. 

In Mississippi, about 20 teens fixed the town’s flooding issues by designing and revamping the town’s antiquated drainage system. In New York, students are installing oyster reef sites, helping to provide habitat to hundreds of species and protect NYC from storm damage. 

Across the country, youth are getting involved with community gardening through organizations like National Garden Clubs. If there is not a chapter near you, then you can always organize to start your own.  There are countless ways to be active in your community, and every action matters and makes a difference. All you need to do is find the organizations that speak to you and sign up!

Some organizations we love

Brightest offers virtual opportunities for climate action by searching based on your address or city. Dosomething.org is a youth-led movement offering action ideas on environmental topics that are impacted by climate change. They also award scholarships for completing a volunteer campaign. The Climate Mobilization group is always looking for eager volunteers who can dedicate hours.

In 2019, 1 in 4 American teens were taking action in their community. Unfortunately, most are now sheltering in place due to COVID, limiting opportunities to get out and get involved. The extra time at home though is a great opportunity to get educated, find the causes which speak to you and inspire you, and decide what you want to help with.

THINGS YOU CAN DO TODAY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Illustrations by Kathleen Founds

NEWS

Meet the Shadowy Network Vilifying Climate Protestors

By Amy Westervelt and Geoff Dembicki 09/12/23
Earlier this year, news footage began making the rounds on social media of young activists from the German climate organization Letzte Generation (Last Generation) being assaulted by their fellow citizens as they obstructed streets in…
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‘No point in anything else’: Gen Z members flock to climate careers

By Angela Lashbrook 09/06/21
“Once you learn how damaged the world’s ecosystems are, it’s not really something you can unsee,” says Rachel Larrivee, 23, a sustainability consultant based in Boston. “To me, there’s no point in pursuing a career…
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Arundathi Nair: Wyoming must work to transition to sustainable, renewable energy sources

By Camille Erickson 10/17/20
Every day starts with the use of energy, whether it’s our alarm clock, turning on the lights, heating, air-conditioning or driving to work. Ever since the industrial revolution, fossil fuels have provided cheap and abundant…
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Climate Change Affecting More Than Just Humans on Long Island

By Priscila Korb 08/13/20
Long Islanders have been working to combat climate change, which has been affecting marine and wildlife in the area.
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How some Mississippi teens are saving their town from climate change

By Rebecca Klein 06/23/20
The teens of Duck Hill, Mississippi, aren’t the teens you see on television protesting the impact of climate change. They’re not missing school to rally in the streets. But they know better than most how…
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Our Education: SIUE Successful Communities Collaborative continues to grow its impact

06/17/20
From being a crucial sustainability resource to sponsoring and supporting sustainable partnership projects, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Successful Communities Collaborative (SSCC) is a leading force in the region.
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Climate Cardinals Website Enlists Students To Translate Climate Change Information, Earn Community Service Hours

By Jeff Kart 05/26/20
A new website called Climate Cardinals is filling a niche. With high school students around the United States (and world) staying at home due to COVID-19, there are few if any opportunities to earn community…
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Greta and Tokata at the Front Lines

By Talli Nauman & Tatyana Novikova 10/08/19
On a world tour for climate justice, Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg visited Native America Oct. 6-8, attracting a gymnasium full of enthusiasts at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, leading a march on Rapid City Hall…
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11 Young Climate Justice Activists You Need to Pay Attention To

By Maia Wikler and Thanu Yakupitiyage 10/01/19
Indigenous peoples and people of color are disproportionately affected by our global climate crisis. In Tipping Point, a new VICE series that covers environmental justice stories, here are 11 activists to watch.
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This Teen Climate Activist Is Fighting To Ensure Indigenous And Marginalized Voices Are Being Heard

By Anna Lucente Sterling 09/25/19
Xiye Bastida has experienced the global effects of climate change firsthand. Now, she’s working to bring diverse people together to fight it. ...
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Youth activists stress collaboration, urgency to respond to climate change

By Maddie Vincent 08/17/19
This year’s American Renewable Energy, or AREDAY speaker series and related film festival aimed to promote actionable solutions to climate change by bringing a lot of the key leaders chasing those solutions to one place.
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KEY RESOURCES

Plant for the Planet

04/30/20
Inspired by Wangari Maathai, who planted 30 million trees in Africa in 30 years, Felix formulated his vision: Children could plant one million trees in every country on earth and thereby offset CO2 emissions all…

Billion Oysters Project

04/30/20
BOP, an initiative of the New York Harbor Foundation, is an ecosystem restoration and education project aimed at restoring one billion live oysters to New York Harbor and engaging hundreds of thousands of school children…

Sustainable Oceans Alliance

01/07/19
The Sustainable Oceans Alliance is a youth-led organization that empowers Millennials to become leaders in preserving the health and sustainability of our oceans. With education, resources and collaborative opportunities, we aim to inspire Millennials to…

MORE WAYS TO TAKE ACTION

Ride the bus

01/16/19
Buses are better for the environment and you are about 70 times more likely to arrive to school safely. And ideally, it’s an electric bus!
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Plant a tree

01/16/19
Trees help to slow climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide. They also provide shade, which helps keep streets and houses cooler in the summertime and reduces the need for air conditioning.
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Monitor and test your water

01/16/19
The EarthEcho Water Challenge  is a program that equips anyone to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies.
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Recycle

08/15/18
Recycling conserves natural resources, reduces the need for landfills, prevents pollution, saves energy, and creates jobs.
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Choose recycled goods

08/15/18
Look for the recycle logo on the things you buy, like paper, tissues, and paper towels.
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MORE NEWS

How can I get a job that fights climate change?

By Zoe Sayler   08/01/19  
But times have changed, and in 2019, high-schoolers are kicking most adults’ rent-paying, voting (or not) asses when it comes to adequate concern about the climate crisis. That makes sense, since by the time we’re…
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Miranda Wang wins Rolex Award for Enterprise

06/25/19  
The Rolex Awards for Enterprise winners are out—and Miranda Wang, Young Champion of the Earth for North America, is the youngest of them.
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Meet 7 Youth Activists Who Won the UN’s ‘Champions of the Earth’ Award

By Joe McCarthy   09/13/18  
"Young people around the world have come up with amazing new ideas to help protect the environment."
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The 2019 GreenBiz 30 Under 30

By GreenBiz Editors   06/03/19  
They work in the worlds of technology and tires, finance and forestry, retail and recovery operations. They hail from Tokyo and Toronto, London and Lima, Mexico and Manhattan. They toil in data centers and diversity,…
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The Sunrise Movement Is Building An Army In The Early 2020 States

By Zahra Hirji   10/01/19  
The Sunrise Movement is scaling up operations in Iowa and New Hampshire to mobilize young people demanding climate action to the polls in the early presidential primary states, organizers told BuzzFeed News.
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