Environmental Action Civics

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION CIVICS

The environmental challenges our planet faces are, to say the least,

Solving them requires cooperation, most powerfully through local civic participation. Environmental Action Civics embodies the belief that participation in local environmental decision-making is critical to equitable processes, innovative solutions, and enduring democratic and civic skills.

Environmental Action Civics is a youth-centered, standards-aligned approach that guides students as they learn about their environment and gives them the opportunity to take civic action to address problems they find.

"Being in community and hearing the perspectives of others engaged in this work were the most helpful takeaways in this process because relating with folks about shared visions, obstacles, etc allows for one to persist in doing the work that is so needed.”

Maine Environmental Education Association

In Environmental Action Civics, young people:

1

Learn about the environment within the context of their own lived experiences (where they live, who they are, what they see);

2

Democratically select an environmental issue to study in partnership with their peers, educator, and community members;

3

Use credible qualitative and quantitative research methods to collect information about their issue and identify root causes.

4

Engage each other, their community, and local stakeholders in evidence-based discussion as a means to contextualize the information and deepen their understanding;

5

Develop action strategies appropriate for addressing the root cause of the problem and, with the support of adults and allies, advocate for those solutions to people in positions of power.

Through these experiences, Environmental Action Civics can help us get to broad-scale collective action on environmental issues while helping youth and adults gain formative experiences and skills.

Students Change State Law to Protect Air Quality

Earth Force students participating in the Caring for Our Watersheds program changed Virginia state law after they discovered and investigated mold in their classroom.

Chicago Students Tackle Flooding in the East Side

Students in Earth Force's RISE Challenge Illinois educated local residents about the need to disconnect downspouts from the storm sewers to help mitigate flooding caused by storm sewers backing up.

Students Draft and Pass a Multi-Family Recycling Law

Students in Wentzville, MO worked with local Homeowners Associations and the local government to draft a Multi-family Recycling policy.

In Environmental Action Civics, young people:

1

2

3

4

5

Through these experiences, Environmental Action Civics can help us get to broad-scale collective action on environmental issues while helping youth and adults gain formative experiences and skills.

Students Change State Law to Protect Air Quality

Chicago Students Tackle Flooding in the East Side

Students Draft and Pass a Multi-Family Recycling Law

Join us.