At the end of February, Karen Cowe, our chief executive officer, joined Maryanne Wolf, director of the UCLA Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice, and six students—from elementary school to college—at the Climate Resilient California and Californians for a Youth Voices panel discussion. Together with climate leaders and advocates from around the world, they underscored the urgency of climate action from the perspective of the next generation.
Climate change is already reshaping our world, making it more critical than ever to invest in solutions—not just in science and technology, but also in education and society. Even the most groundbreaking climate innovations will fall short if people are not prepared to embrace them. The COVID-19 pandemic made this clear: scientific breakthroughs alone were not enough; social resistance slowed their impact. The same is true for climate action. That’s why climate education is just as vital as climate science and technology.
During the panel, six students—from sixth grade to university—shared their personal climate moments, the sparks that ignited their commitment to action. Now, imagine that passion and determination multiplied across California’s education system, reaching more than six million students. What if every young person had the knowledge and opportunity to lead on this issue?
Designed by the student panelists themselves, the session was a powerful testament to youth leadership. It was an honor to collaborate with them, and their voices will help shape the conversation moving forward. Their insights remind us that when young people are empowered, they don’t just participate in the movement—they drive it.
“We need to work together, kids and adults to come up with a solution to save our oceans. My goal is to reach as many elementary school students as possible and get them involved, because we will inherit this planet”
-Grace Pérez Mancusi, 6th grade
“I think I sit here with most people in California thinking about the recent fires that we have to go through. . . I asked my parents, are we safe? The only thing that came to my mind was that we have to do better with preventing fires from starting in the first place, and at the very least, we need to contain them in their absolute earliest stages. Prevention is ideal, but how fast we can respond is a must.”
-Willem Shpilsky, 6th grade
“Inspiring young people to act and discuss important issues is crucial to build a global community dedicated to environmental responsibility, we must begin with our schools. Enhancing climate education in schools will give students the skills and information to confront climate change and motivate them to create and execute solutions. When every school encourages students to become stewards of the environment. We can create a healthier planet, more sustainable cities and a brighter future for everyone again.”
-Zachary Fox-DeVol, 7th grade
I aim to educate and empower youth based on interdisciplinary solutions through something I created called intersections, it is a two week solutions and wellness based climate education course for high schoolers. By high schoolers. I wanted to create something that would cater to all interests, and so regardless of a kid’s passions, I wanted them to take away that they have a role to play in this solution.
-Ananya Gupta, 11th grade
The kids can’t vote. So let’s pass legislation to get more money into the organizations that empower them, and beyond that, support local community colleges that have served the public for generations. Our way out of the seemingly endless tunnel lies in our youth. California has always been a beacon of hope for climate reform, so let’s keep acting like it.
-Andrew Rodriguez, Community College
Young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow. We are the leaders today. We are leading climate strikes, we are rewriting policies, we are exposing corporate greenwashing, and we are pushing for justice that institutions have failed to deliver, and we are not waiting for permission, but we shouldn’t have to do it alone. If you are in this room, you have power not just to support you, but to listen, fund and uplift the work they are already doing.
-Bella Santos, Higher Education
These students are nothing short of a beacon of hope. Now, it is up to us to listen, reflect, and take action by supporting the policies they are calling for.
Ten Strands is excited to announce that at the end of March, in partnership with the San Mateo County Office of Education, community writing teams, and subject matter experts, we will be publishing Seeds to Solutions—a free, state-supported climate and environmental justice curriculum for every grade from K–12. These engaging, interdisciplinary two- to three-week units will explore California-specific environmental challenges and solutions, equipping students with the knowledge and skills to take meaningful action.
Beyond curriculum development, we are working to secure funding for professional learning opportunities to support educators in effectively bringing these materials into their classrooms. For those with the ability to make an impact, your support is invaluable in ensuring teachers have the resources they need. To stay updated and learn more about Seeds to Solutions, visit our webpage.
Additionally, the University of California (UC) Office of the President (UCOP) and the LA unified school district (LAUSD) in partnership with Geffen Academy at UCLA (a high school) have designed a two week long high school climate literacy course centering on engaging and empowering youth around climate change solutions. LAUSD, UCOP, and Geffen Academy at UCLA have come together to empower the next generation of youth activists through a course that aims to ground high school students in the realities of climate change through expert-taught lectures and complex and authentic students-led discussions, all within a holistic wellness context that empowers students to discover and implement solutions that interweave their skills, passions, and community’s climate needs. The course’s materials are curated from the UC’s Bending the Curve course, a trans-disciplinary curriculum and multimedia content video library created by a team of climate researchers and policy makers, educators, and designers at the University of California. Curated by Geffen Academy school junior, Ananya Gupta, the high school-centered course, adapted from the Bending the Curve course, focuses on climate change solutions to bend the warming curve and to accelerate resilience and climate justice for everyone, particularly for our planet’s most vulnerable people.
Together, we can empower the next generation to lead on climate solutions.
