Youth Activists for a Planet in Distress

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Regenerating Respectful and Reciprocal Relationships to Nature Is an Educational Priority: Youth Activists as an Immune Response to a Planet in Distress

Young people around the world are rising up for Mother Earth. They are speaking back to political leaders, economic systems and oppressive worldviews which have created the current reality which denies them a promising future. Within education, our learners are grappling with existential concerns – not only academic ones. A recent landmark study exploring eco-anxiety in young people in 10 countries around the world (ages 16-25) determined that concern and distress about the future in the context of government inaction on climate change is having a serious mental health impact on the majority of youth surveyed (Marks et al., 2021). As educators, we must carefully consider the kinds of educational environments we are creating that can support K-12 learners in bringing their whole selves – not only their minds but their emotions, instincts and bodies – to our classrooms. Without nurturing all of who they are and supporting their love and connectedness with the Earth and its relational webs, how could we powerfully support them in facing the challenging and sometimes devastating realities being enacted in their respective communities with purpose, meaning, hope and agency?