HVCHS students go to Capitol Hill Tuesday

to Advocate for National K-12 Climate Education & Mental Health

Students from Hopewell Valley Central High School will join Schools for Climate Action and more than 60 other youth climate activists from across the country for the National Youth Conference on Climate Education in Washington DC. Youth advocates are scheduled to meet with lawmakers, urging them to support to K-12 education as a key climate change solution and acknowledge the mental health impacts of climate change on youth. 

On Tuesday, March 28, at a live-streamed press conference, national student climate leaders will introduce a youth-authored House Resolution calling for comprehensive K-12 climate education (embargoed until 3/28) and a House Resolution (embargoed until 3/28) calling for support for mental health for youth impacted by the changing climate. These student leaders and members of Congress will urge immediate action to support comprehensive climate education in schools while bolstering students’ resilience and mental health.  

When: 

National Youth Conference on Climate Education

Tuesday, March 28 – Thursday, March 30, 2023

Press Conference

Tuesday, March 28th, 11 am

Will go live here: Facebook event. 

Where: 

House Triangle, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.

Who: 

• Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-5)
• Elizabeth Bechard, Senior Policy Analyst, Moms Clean Air Force
• Shiva Rajbhandari, 18, student and school board member, Boise, Idaho
• Lily Gelb, Sonoma Academy junior, Schools for Climate Action, House Resolution co-author
• Aishah Nyeta, GenZ Advisor, Climate Mental Health Network

Youth climate activists (approx 60 participants) representing at least 12 states (CA, CO, FL, ID, IA, MA, ME, MD, NJ, PA, UT, VA), including Hopewell Valley students, will be in attendance behind the podium at the press conference.

Why: 

Last week’s release of the UN-IPCC report underscores that climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing our planet. Young people are leading the charge to address it, but also feel the mental health impacts of increased extreme weather events and an uncertain future. Students are calling on lawmakers to expand K-12 climate education as a critical tool in building a sustainable future, empowering students to understand the science of climate change and create pathways for green jobs directly out of high school.