Youth activist uses art to educate her community about climate change
At Columbia Climate School, we are deeply committed to engaging future generations of students in the conversation about climate change. We believe that youth are one of the strongest voices for social change and climate action, and are committed to working with them and engaging them in important conversations around the climate crisis.
One of the ways we do this is by building a portfolio of college preparatory courses for young learners to engage in. This spring, we will be offering a webinar called Empowering You(th) for Climate Action by Laurel Zaima of the Columbia Climate Institute’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.You can learn more about Programs available here and register Information session January 27th at 4:30pm ET.
Another way we develop our pre-university curriculum is through our Columbia Green Mountain Climate School Program. The job, first offered in summer 2021, is a two-week on-campus program for high school students that enables students to Mobilize Action, Drive Impact, and Influence Change in response to the warming of our planet. In 2022, we are planning two face-to-face summer sessions at the planned Columbia Climate School in Green Mountain, along with a new job,’Columbia Climate Team. These are group climate and sustainability programs designed for students interested in combining intentional travel with in-depth educational opportunities, while experiencing the destination through the lens of climate change. We will be holding an information session on February 3rd at 5:00pm ET to let you know more about these opportunities, please reply here.
In all these endeavors, learners work with Columbia Climate School faculty to learn about cutting-edge innovations in action, share ideas with like-minded individuals, and collaborate on projects to harness their collective power to take action.
At the end of our Summer 2021 Green Mountain Program, all participants have created action plans for what they will do to drive conversations around climate change in their communities. We’re excited to share an update showing how one of last summer’s project participants is tackling climate change in her community through her personal passion: art.
McKenna Kelly, a high school student in California’s Bay Area, felt the effects of wildfires firsthand. Through the Green Mountain Project, she has learned about several aspects of climate change, from aspects of sustainability to the psychology of climate deniers. McKenna has chosen to serve as a climate activist in her community through art and to use her art as a form of education. She draws inspiration from news, climate predictions and conversations with her peers to create work related to climate change.
Below, McKenna kindly shares samples of work she created last fall that she plans to show at her school and local galleries.
title: emission
Material: Acrylic paint, cardboard, pen
describe: I want to play with the idea that polar bears are stuck on melting Arctic ice due to global warming and include the actual cause, greenhouse gas emissions. I included a car and factory to represent transportation and electricity (the two largest emitters in America), and let the emissions of those two things catch polar bears and replace them. This piece was done on cardboard for sustainability and hangs in the hall outside my AP Environmental Science classroom.
inspiration: When someone searches for “global warming” or “climate change,” one of the first questions that come up is polar bears trapped in melting ice. I wanted to use this image that pops up in people’s minds a lot, but also to explain why.
title: wildfire
Material: Oil, coffee, paper
describe: I drew a house that was victimized by vicious wildfires in California, and selected essays to express the urgency and impact of climate change on those wildfires. I burnt off the edges of the article and colorized it with coffee.
inspiration: Living in the Bay Area, the most impact I see from climate change is wildfires. I was out of school for a few days because of a cigarette, many outdoor activities were canceled, and the sky turned eerily orange. I wanted to create a piece to show the impact of climate change on worsening wildfires.
title: Oil
Material: Oil, Acrylic
describe: This piece is designed to show the dangerous proximity of oil wells to residential areas in California, with houses nearby and children walking by oil wells every day.
inspiration: Unlike many other states, California has no restrictions on well buffers between households. Those exposed to oil well contamination on a daily basis suffer from asthma, pregnancy complications, cancer and more, and increase the risk of the COVID-19 pandemic.
title: Youth Activism
Material: Oil, acrylic, fountain pen
describe: I think Greta Thunberg is a figurehead for youth climate activism. Her influence on the media and the inspiration she spreads is notable. I painted her background with other symbols and text.
inspiration: I remember hearing about Greta Thunberg on the news and she inspired me. As I continue to learn more and advocate for climate myself, I hope to inspire others to learn more about their actions and their impact. Education is the first step, and it is important for younger generations to step up and take action as climate change progresses and over time.
