Quote: “You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words.”

 In this speech she is directly speaking to world leaders at the UN Climate Action Summit of 2019. She states early on “You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words" , which is a great example of how youths are able to recognize worldly problems and have the courage to demand action and accountability to those in charge. Greta speaks from a place of raw emotion and passion, one that streams from her childhood experiences and reflections on the impacts climate change has had on not only her but youths everywhere. I believe this speech is also a great example of ways that learning can expand beyond the classroom. Greta took what she had learned about climate change and transformed it into a movement for activism. She successfully combined her education with real world issues in an amazingly, inspirational way. This very point made me think about ways in which I can expand learning beyond my future classroom. Curriculum should not only be what schools require, but what is relevant and what can allow opportunities for students to express their opinions and perspectives.

Quote: “Participatory and arts-based approaches can be used to support youths’ everyday climate crisis activism. Arts-based approaches not only encourage young people to envision alternative, more sustainable futures, they also invite reflection on how to get there.”

Carlie D. Trott’s article is a great resource as to the ways in which little everyday actions can truly help in making a difference in our fight against climate change. It dives into the various approaches such as participatory and art-based  which can be used in supporting youth activism for climate change. These approaches allow students to not only explore their creativity but also broaden their knowledge and understanding of our worlds climate issues. As a result students are then more likely to use their critical thinking skills in order to brainstorm ways they can make a difference.

Quote: "we are drawing the line here

because baby we are going to fight"

This powerful and emotional poem is a letter written by Jetn̄il-Kijiner (a member of the BIPOC community)  to her daughter. I love the fact that it is in the form of a personal letter to her daughter because not oly does it symbolize the importance of the role that future generations play in the climate crisis but it makes readers view the climate crisis in a way more personal way, which in turn makes them more engaged and inspired to take action. This made me think about all the ways in which I can make curriculum more personal to each student in order to foster prolonged engagement with content and a deeper level of understanding all around. 

Quote: "We will continue dreaming to protect our forest. We are the earth, the water, the air. We are the forest itself. And for her, we will continue to fight and unite until the end, with lots of love, and lots of rebellion."

This letter, written by indigenous women from the Amazon is a powerful collection of their hopes and dreams for a future where their descendants can enjoy and experience a thriving environment. One that accurately reflects the sacred forest and their important cultural heritage. Throughout this letter, the women stress the importance of having educational systems that are based off of their personal heritage and ultimately, way of life. In addition to the stress on this specific type of education system, the women also discussed their crucial role in empowering future generations to stand strong in their cultural identity and defending/ standing up for their territories.

Maya Lins artwork made me think a lot.

I think it is both beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time. The piece itself is gorgeous but I can't help but feel heartbroken as I see it as a reminder of all the various species and ecosystems that have already succumbed to climate change. This lead me to the realization of the fact that the education system rarely leaves space for students to grieve or be upset over the past or wrong doings such as the multiple species that have become extinct as a direct result of human intervention. What if part of teaching kids about climate change is also about teaching students how to feel the loss and turn it into something productive, not just understand and regurgitate the information. It is my hope to use art as a tool for students to show their knowledge, mourn and put passion into action.

Description: #Climatestrikeonline is apart of the global "Fridays for Future" movement. This is where youth climate activists have the opportunity and are encouraged to post messages, artwork, signs and their concerns via social media, rather than gathering in a physical protest. This hashtag was very popular during the COVID-19 global pandemic and has since continued to be a safe place for people to share their passionate beliefs surrounding climate change.

This particular artifact is proof that youth activism is strong and will always find a way. Even during a worldwide pandemic, youths all over found a way to make their voices heard without breaking laws or endangering their safety. This hashtag is deeply connected to my theme as it is proof that youth activism is resilient, strong and deeply rooted in community no matter the format. As for curriculum, this made me think more abut how I as an art educator could help students to view social media as a tool for activism and not just a screen to receive memes. Ultimately, this hashtag left me thinking, How can I better design learning experiences where students get the opportunity to actively engage and participate in climate change movements? And what does an integration of social media look like in the classroom? More specifically, an art classroom?

Quote: "The planet is suffering, and we don't have the luxury of time anymore. Saving the world as a teenager means being good with words, understanding the science behind the climate crisis, bringing a unique perspective into the issue to stand out, and forgetting about almost everything else."

This podcast was a great way to further explore youth-led climate change initiatives from all over the globe and how they are gaining popularity via online, in person and as gatherings. This podcast was really eye opening as it truly highlights how borderless and collaborative youth climate activism is today. In addition, it was an adequate resource showing how crucial its is for us to show students the scope and impact that their voices have on the world. Finally this podcast made me think deeper about ways in which I can incorporate global activism into my future curriculum without overwhelming them.

This documentary film was as great watch and gave me an inside look at what it looks like for youths to be involved in climate activism, more specifically within the UN system. This film made me think deeper about school curriculum and how it should not just prepare students for the real world but it should encourage, motivate and empower them to change it. This film also sparked an idea about how I could possibly document activism in an art classroom setting.

Quote: "The YOUzine is the first ever fully youth-led magazine that features youth art, writing and music that relate to social and climate justice. We aim to uplift youth climate voices as a way to solve climate change more systemically."

YOUzine is such an inspiring example of the collaboration between art and youth climate activism. It not only shows just how powerful youths can be when expressing themselves creatively through art, writing and music but also highlights the incredible awareness it raises for both climate and social justice issues. This fully youth-led project not only gives the opportunity for underrepresented voices to speak their part but also effectively challenges the traditional ideas of what climate activism can look like. This project specifically made me think about the true power in peer-to-peer communication and the empowerment given to students when they have a real platform to express their ideas. Creating zines is something I think would be a great project for my future art classroom.

Quote: “Sometimes you never fully know who you are or the stuff you’re made of until you’re forced to fight for what you think is most important.”

This was an exceptional memoir and read. It gave me a much needed broader view of what climate change can look like, especially from the persepective of the Inuit culture and their fight for certain rights. I think that this book was a great example of how climate change can translate to human rights issues. It really showed how environmental shifts can negatively affect Indigenous and disabled communities. Ultimately this memoir changed the way I think about "access" and not just physical access but cultural, emotional and environmental access to land and heritage. Based on that last thought I was brought to the question of How can I better support students in understanding climate change from a justice and accessibility point of view.

Quote: "Having the ability to visually communicate with people in a way that is universally understood is a powerful tool that should be used to support what happens in our communities."

This campaign by Amplifier called We The Future, features some incredible youth leaders whom are fighting for climate justice, education, and ton of other social issues, all through art! They range from real life posters, to illustrations and public murals. This campaign made me realize how easy it would be to bring into the classroom. I already have visions of students creating their own posters for things they feel strongly about. I think that this is incredibly empowering and gives students a great opportunity to be a part of something bigger while still harnessing their creativity.

Quote: “It’s always been a part of our culture. Always has been, always will be, but folks outside of it are just now starting to realize the importance of it."

This is another great climate strike resource through the perspective of indigenous tribes. This podcast was all about Indigenous fore stewardship and how controlled burns have been used for many generations to take care of land, not destroy it. It made me realizer how crazy it is that Western science is just now catching up to what Indigenous communities have already been doing for many years prior. One thing that really stuck with me from this podcast episode was how fire is treated as a relative and not just a tool. This mindset is so different and wild to me and how most of us were taught to view nature. It made me think about how I can help my future students connect to nature and land more than just academically, but emotionally. I would love to implement projects where students get the opportunity to explore their relationships with nature, possibly through storytelling like puppetry or reflective journaling to accompany an artistic piece made from natural materials!