Youth Changemakers for Environmental Justice
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Provided by: PBS Wisconsin Education|Published on: May 13, 2026
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Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This 8-minute video focuses on youth climate action and environmental justice in Wisconsin, exploring how young people are leading efforts to address climate change impacts in their communities.
- Students are introduced to concepts like environmental justice, marginalized groups, and food deserts.
Subjects: Civics
Authors: Field Notes on Climate
Region: Wisconsin
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Prerequisites:
- Ensure students are familiar with climate change and how it impacts people in general.
- Activate prior knowledge by asking students to define environmental justice or describe what youth action looks like in their community.
Classroom Implementation:
- Use this video as a hook to spark inspiration for a class activism project.
- Precede this video with a lesson on environmental justice, using the video as a way to empower students and leave them thinking about solutions. Consider using this lesson plan.
- Use this resource in conjunction with the video for a mapping activity in which students identify environmental justice issues in their own community or school district.
Differentiation:
- Consider pausing the video when definitions for unknown vocabulary appear on the screen.
Extensions:
- Have students research local youth activism organizations in the area similar to BYFY and identify ways they can get involved.
- Students design a community action project proposal, keeping in mind the needs of those in the community and what would best serve marginalized groups.
Related Resources:
- Students interested in youth action can check out this toolkit for hosting a youth climate summit.
- For another Wisconsin-specific story about youth action, check out this video.
- Use this video for a quick explanation of environmental justice.
This video resource explores the work of Wisconsin’s Youth Climate Action Fund, a student-led group that supports environmental and climate action projects. All claims list sources on screen, with many cited from trusted scientific institutions or peer-reviewed journals. The project is clearly grounded in environmental justice, with a focus on individual, local climate action. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
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Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
