Abstract
Children make the best environmental advocates because they will bear the brunt of climate disruption, they occupy a moral high ground, and they address intergenerational justice by bringing the future into the room. Their messages reach adults’ hearts and they model successes that inspire their peers. This article explores how the successful actions of children and youth, documented in films, act as powerful catalysts for attaining positive environmental change and social justice.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bandura A (1986) Social foundations of thought and action: a social cognitive theory. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
Bandura A (1997) Self-efficacy: the exercise of control. W.H. Freeman, New York
Bandura A (2012) International address: toward a psychology of human agency: Lifetime Career Award. International Union of Psychological Sciences, Capetown, p2
Bandura A (2019) Scripted narratives and climate change with Albert Bandura. Stanford University https://youtu.be/6ZSl1QoPKdI
Bandura A, Cherry L (2020) Enlisting the power of youth for climate change. American Psychologist 75(7):946, 945–951. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000512
Barron Prize for Young Heroes (2020) Celebrating young heroes. https://barronprize.org/
Benjamina I (2016) Six-year-old Iris Benjamina reading The Great Kapok Tree. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QHZzQQm3OU
Cherry L (Producer and Director) (2014) We Are Raindrops [youTube] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLcy2Vqco48
Cherry L (Producer and Director) (2015a) Dreaming in Green [TV, DVD, online] https://www.youngvoicesfortheplanet.com/youth-climate-videos/dreaming-in-green/
Cherry L (Producer and Director) (2015b) Plant for the Planet [TV, DVD, online] https://www.youngvoicesfortheplanet.com/plant-for-the-planet-felix-finkbeiner/
Cherry L (Producer and Director) (2016) Save Tomorrow [TV, DVD, online] https://www.youngvoicesfortheplanet.com/youth-climate-videos/save-tomorrow/
Cherry L (Producer and Director) (2017) The Last Straw [TV, DVD, online] https://www.youngvoicesfortheplanet.com/youth-climate-videos/the-last-straw/
Cherry L (Producer and Director) (2019) Words Have Power [DVD, online] Young Voices for the Planet productions. https://www.youngvoicesfortheplanet.com/words-have-power-jaysa-hunter-mellers/
Cherry L (Producer and Director) (2008 – 2020) Young Voices for the Planet 13 short documentary films. [TV, DVD, online] https://www.youngvoicesfortheplanet.com/youth-climate-videos/
Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation (2020) CELF Civic Science: inquiry to action. Teacher Environmental Literacy Series. https://celfeducation.org/
CivXNow (2020a) Civic education and racial justice: the work we need to do. https://www.civxnow.org/ Accessed November 15 2020
CivXNow (2020b) Majority of Americans see K-12 civic education as the best solution. https://medium.com/civxnow/majority-of-americans-see-k-12-civic-education-as-the-best-solution-8e444a70352b Accessed November 15 2020
Cottle M (2018) How Parkland students changed the gun debate. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/02/parkland-students-power/554399/
Earth Island Institute (2020) All winners. http://www.broweryouthawards.org/awardees
Gibbs C, Phan K, Nam E, Mordechai R (2020) Kid heroes for the planet. TIME for Kids https://www.timeforkids.com/g56/topics/young-game-changers/page/2/
Goldstone H (2014) Psychology and social science reveal deep underpinnings of climate change denial. Cape and Islands National Public Radio https://www.capeandislands.org/post/psychology-and-social-science-reveal-deep-underpinnings-climate-change-denial#stream/0
iCivics (2020) catalyzing a movement to build civic strength through education. https://www.icivics.org/
Living on Earth (2016) Lynne Cherry reading The Great Kapok Tree https://www.loe.org/series/series.html?seriesID=21
Mellers J H (2019) Radio Kingston interview https://radiokingston.org/en/broadcast/i-want-what-she-has/episodes/jaysa-hunter-mellers-youth-climate-educator-lynne-cherry-young-voices-for-the planet?fbclid=IwAR3bU4rnFHkY7XOehlmhevUvf7g85Yj6oBIbfyDqAX7ECJZSLbdItWkD1nw
Mellers JH (2020) When kids fight for environmental justice, words have power. Antioch University New England, Environmental Advocacy Webinar Series https://www.antioch.edu/new-england/event/when-kids-fight-for-environmental-justice-words-have-power-environmental-advocacy-climate-series/
Mid-Hudson Teacher Center (2020) An ACTIONable framework for teaching civic engagement. and CELF workshops https://www.youngvoicesfortheplanet.com/professional-development/
Nelson G (2002) Beyond earth day: fulfilling the promise. University of Wisconsin Press
Our Children’s Trust (2020a) Federal climate lawsuit filed in 2011 (Alec L. v. McCarthy). https://www.ourchildrenstrust.org/aleclvmccarthy
Our Children’s Trust (2020b) Our short films. https://www.ourchildrenstrust.org/short-films
Our Children’s Trust (2020c) Curriculum. https://www.ourchildrenstrust.org/curriculum.
Revkin A (2012) On the allure of ostriches and new paths in climate communication. Dot.Earth, New York Times
Shea A (2015) Inspired by films, kid environmentalists take action to ‘save tomorrow by helping today.’ WBUR. https://www.wbur.org/artery/2015/01/16/films-inspire-young-lexington-environmentalists
Shepherd S, Kay A (2011) American Psychological Association. J Pers Soc Psychol 102:264–280. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026272
Shepherd S, Kay A (2012) On the perpetuation of ignorance: system dependence, system justification, and the motivated avoidance of sociopolitical information. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102(2), 264–280. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026272; American Psychological Association 0022-3514/11/ https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/psp-102-2-264.pdf
Shugarman H (2020) How to talk to your kids about climate change: turning angst into action. New Society Publishers
Southern Poverty Law Center (2004) The children’s march. PBS Learning Media. https://mass.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/87d20a08-89c6-46fb-8985-d3ff367e9a14/the-childrens-march-full-episode/
Teaching for Change (2017) And the youth shall lead us. https://www.civilrightsteaching.org/framing-movement/and-the-youth-shall-lead-us
The My Hero Project (2019, 2020) Winners: the My Hero Project 2019 international film festival https://myhero.com/films/winners2019
Thoumi G (2014) A children’s book inspired by murder: 25th anniversary of the Great Kapok Tree. Mongabay. https://kidsnews.mongabay.com/2014/07/a-childrens-book-inspired-by-murder-the-25th-anniversary-of-the-great-kapok
Watts J (2019) Greta Thunberg, schoolgirl climate change warrior: ‘Some people can let things go. I can’t.’ Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/
Young Voices for the Planet film series. 13 Films. (2008-2019) Young Voices for the Planet (online) https://www.youngvoicesfortheplanet.com/youth-climate-videos/ Accessed 19 March 2021
Zinn Education Project (2020) Films, grade 6-8. https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/?cond[0]=media_types_str:Films&cond[1]=levels_str:Grades+6-8; https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/words-have-power/s
Acknowledgments
Foundations: Clif Bar Foundation, Dewitt and Caroline Van Evera Foundation, Garden Club of Allegheny County, The Heinz Endowments, Hollomon Price Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Rockefeller Family and Associates, T.A. Barron Foundation, Tides Foundation, Turner Foundation, Wiancko Family Foundation
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cherry, L. The power of positive role models: youth climate activism in films. J Environ Stud Sci 11, 212–216 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13412-021-00663-8
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13412-021-00663-8