Youth Changemakers for Environmental Justice
Provided by: PBS Wisconsin Education|Published on: May 13, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Videos
Subjects: Civics
Authors: Field Notes on Climate
Region: Wisconsin
Languages: English
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 →
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.
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
Standards
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 →
