With so much talk about how climate justice is in the hands of young people, we know that Gen Z is well aware of climate change and is taking considerable steps to combat it.

Young activists are leading the pack on climate activism and are making waves to bring attention to the issue on a global scale. Greta Thunberg is one of the most recognized names in this arena and is most famous for starting a global climate strike movement called Fridays for Future. Another is Franziska Trautmann, who started Glass Half Full, an organization that collects glass and recycles it into sand and glass cullet for coastal restoration, disaster relief, eco-construction, and more in New Orleans. These two are among many other young people who prove that the way to build a greener future is to invest and learn about green jobs and organizations.

In the wake of COP27, something is crystal clear: the world needs to shift to more sustainable practices and create greener jobs. According to an article by the International Monetary Fund, there’s a sincere effort from many US companies to move from being polluters to more carbon-neutral, which opens the possibility of creating more green jobs.

We know that many young people feel that many climate issues are in the hands of major corporations, but this is the first step to hopefully seeing accountability and action from them.

A greener future is in our hands, and these opportunities are a glimmer of hope that our everyday efforts are worth it. We know that these huge strides began as a simple vision for a greener future, so we want to give you a place to start planting seeds for your own.

Our See Us, Hear Us: Envisioning Greener Futures program is all about generating your vision of a greener future with two initiatives that will allow you to speak your truth about climate justice. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Let’s Do This!

DoSomething

Many of you have already shared your stories about how climate injustice has impacted your community through See Us, Hear Us.

We know that communities of color and low-income communities are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. You all are using your voices to show the real-life impacts of environmental racism, as well as your visions of a better, greener future.

Here’s a glimpse of what some of our members are saying:

"Oil is a natural resource that is highly used today. West Texas has the largest amounts of oil rigs than anywhere else. Due to the huge amount of oil rigs in a certain area there is a lot of pollution in the air, because of the big factories,” said DoSomething member Genesis V., 18. “Fracking has become the most popular way to collect huge amounts of oil, which can also have an effect and shift the plates underground. Oil has been used for many centuries. That leaves us to find a healthier way to change the items that use oil in a better way for the environment."

“I feel like a community garden would be the most beneficial green space for my community. Giving people to opportunity to ground and be in nature as well as harvest their own vegetables,” shared DoSomething member Lillie Grace W., 24

DoSomething member Jonathon C.,17 said, “The way my community is impacted by climate injustice is through the severe drought our region has faced in recent years, harming food production and human health. My vision for a greener future is a community is which clean drinking water is available to everyone. This could be accomplished by introducing new legislation to the town to make it a better place to live in.”

We want to hear your story, and your vision of a greener future as well. When you participate in See Us, Hear us, you’ll be entered to earn a $2,000 scholarship, too!

It’s Computer Science Education Week! This week is all about inspiring young students to not only sharpen their computer science skills but to advocate for STEM equity in schools. To celebrate, join us with our Make STEM 100% program, which aims to demystify the field and close the equity gap between students and their STEM dreams.

Speaking of techy heroes… Nelly Cheboi is a Kenyan woman and computer lover who is taking STEM equity into her own hands. She founded an organization that uses recycled computers to teach tech to children in her community in rural Kenya. Nelly is an enormous inspiration, and you can watch her story here.

Speaking of trailblazers… Sandra Shakespeare her colleague Dr. Tola Dabiriand saw that the UK didn’t have a single museum dedicated to Black history. By founding the Black British Museum project, they changed that. Read their story here.

Collegexpress

‘Tis the season! It’s all things merry and bright as our friends at CollegeXpress are giving away a $1500 no-essay scholarship through December 31! And all you have to do is answer one simple question. 

Complete a free profile on CollegeXpress and answer the following to be entered: What’s your favorite holiday tradition?

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