This was written by Moms Clean Air Force interns Dr. Marietta Shapiro & Dr. Danielle Shapiro:
On September 20, we’re joining with youth climate activists to help call attention to the climate crisis and demand meaningful action to protect the health and future of the world’s children. Three days before the UN Climate Summit in NYC, Moms Clean Air Force members from across the country will be standing alongside our kids as they walk out of school and work to demand that our leaders take emergency action to address climate change. And we’re inviting you and your family to join a Student Strike and #strikewithus.
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE KIDS
Poster passion.
- Help design and make signs, posters, and banners.
- Save resources by using old boxes for signs and old sheets for banners.
- Wordplay, puns, clichés, and pop culture references get the most attention.
- Be sure to snap photos of your creations and share with friends and others on social media in advance of the Climate Strike.
Wear the message.
- Make something old new again, save money, and go green by repurposing old tee shirts. Cut up a tee to redesign the fit. Use fabric markers for your message. You can also add puffy paint for decoration.
- Wear your tee shirts and stand in solidarity for climate action for a great photo opportunity.
- To gather excitement for the strike, share photos as a fashion statement on social media
Get social with it.
- Be sure to use the following hashtags: #Climatestrike #Strikewithus #Climatecrisis
- Use the handle: @cleanairmoms
- Include eye-catching memes or gifs in your posts.
Get musical.
- Look at the RISE for Climate Songbook.
- Get inspired by the band The 1975 who joined forces with the amazing youth activist Greta Thunberg for a track on their latest album.
- Take a kids’ favorite artist/band (i.e. Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift) and rewrite a hit song with new lyrics about climate action.
- Get pumped, have fun, and don’t forget to dance!
Talk to the school.
- Schedule a call with your children’s principal, advisor, or homeroom teacher. Create an open dialogue to encourage them to institute an official policy on the climate strike.
- Request that administrators and teachers not punish kids for cutting class to participate in the climate strike.
- Request that teachers not administer tests/exams the day of the strike, and ask them to keep homework light if possible around the strike.
- Ask teachers to have class notes/lessons ready for students so that they may easily make up missed work.
- Encourage teachers to show films, hold discussions, and include content about climate change in their classes the week of the strike.
Assure students that they have your permission to skip school.
- That is, for the Climate Strike, not anything else.
Reach out to youth leaders to ask how you can help transport students to and from the strike.
- Adults can help with low-pollution transportation to events on 9/20. Gather a group of parents, kids, and other allies to walk, bike, ride scooters, take public transit, or carpool together.
Help energize the strikers with healthy food throughout the day of the strike.
- Organize with other parents to make a snack station for the kids.
- Offer water (from a reusable water bottle in paper cups).
- Make no-bake energy bars (toasted quick oats, dried fruit, nuts, nut butter, and honey or agave nectar) – label ingredients for food allergies.
- Donate fruit.
Be positive and have fun!
TELL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE: IT’S BEYOND TIME FOR CLIMATE SAFETY