Anyone who supports the well being of the planet knows we must support the education of the youth in order to foster environmental change. Ultimately, “the youth is our future” and their actions can either positively or negatively impact our planet. To help enlighten young people in the Milledgeville community and encourage them to practice green initiatives, members of the Georgia College (GC) Office of Sustainability partnered with Early College to educate students on issues related to environmental justice.
The students were able to watch two videos. The first video describes the state of our planet and how much destruction we have done during our short time on Earth. According to the video, if the existence of the planet was condensed to a 24 hour period, humans have dwelled on it for approximately 3 seconds.
The second video visually demonstrates privilege through the metaphor of a race to win $100. The Early College students learned that even though some people deal with hardships everyone still must go through the process of life. This video addresses the idea that the effects of privilege on success are real and should not be ignored.
If students come from low-income families or deal with other hardships, it may be more difficult to focus solely on their education. Check out this article published by the U.S. Department of Education that explains more.
Many urban areas also tend to increase the number of trees to decrease air pollution but give less attention to lower-income neighborhoods or industrialized areas in the same city that need better air quality as well. By explaining these principles to students, we were able to rally their support, open their eyes, and inspire them to fight for environmental and social justice.
Ava Leone
Georgia College Green Initiative 