Teens Turning Green

One of the worst things we can say about young people today is that they are apathetic—that they just don’t give a damn about their world, or often themselves. I find that this is quite untrue. Not only do young people bring such innovation and freshness to the table—they also usually have a huge sense of hope that simply can’t be undone by anything but age. There are literally thousands of examples for how much young people care about the world and work to change it daily; Teens Turning Green is just one of them.

Teens Turning Green is “a student led movement devoted to education and advocacy around environmentally and socially responsible choices for individuals, schools, and communities.” This organization started out as a local group in the Bay Area in 2005 and has since skyrocketed to a national movement in schools and communities all across the nation. Elementary, middle, and high schools use their programs. Colleges and universities take part, as well as student organizations. In short, this is like the big green movement of young people—and it’s not only big, it’s powerful.

Teens Turning Green specifically works for real change we can see and feel. Some of its goals are media attention and raising awareness, virtually connecting youth across the country to environmental and social issues, helping people learn about the issues and how to change, and to even lobby in the political realm for sustainable policies and business practices. Wow!

And it’s not your typical student council group where everyone meets and discusses what color of crepe paper should be used for homecoming. This movement has real conferences—from New York to California—and maintains lifestyle, school, and community programs. Each of these programs helps youth make a scalable impact in their own communities or schools.

For example, the school program is a curriculum-based concept that helps youth find out about the dangerous chemicals and environmental hazards on their campuses. From the program, you can get a toolkit to take action, sign up to become involved, and find out how to assess your school’s environmental dangers—as well as how to change the situation.

This organization is truly making a difference and is worthy of our attention and admiration. If you have a teen at home, please encourage him or her to get on board—or, better yet, ask your local school district about it. If you have them to give, I’m sure a donation of funds or time would also be appreciated by Teens Turning Green. For more information, be sure to visit their website.