Green Schools Campaign: A Campaign for Students by Students

Fighting the climate crisis is going to require all hands on deck, from every sector – including education. In the United States, K-12 schools are some of the most significant emitters of greenhouse gases and spend enormous amounts of money on energy.

That’s why we’re working with student leaders to launch a new chapter of the Green Schools Campaign.

The Green Schools Campaign centers developing the leadership, advocacy, and grassroots organizing of young people to spearhead initiatives to transition their schools and communities to 100% clean energy.

In July, the Climate Reality Global Youth Programs team spoke with 18-year-old Climate Reality Leader and Green Schools co-founder Lily Morse (she/they). Lily is also a current member of the Green Schools Campaign Advisory Team.

Lily is now studying sociology and psychology at the University of Southern California.

Climate Reality: How did you get involved with the Green Schools Campaign?

Lily: I was trained virtually as a Climate Reality Leader in the summer of 2020. Through the training, I connected with Simon Aron, Natalia Armenta, and Ava Acevedo in my mentor group. This was the first time I found a group of people my age who were passionate about fighting for environmental justice in their communities.

Together, we launched the Green Schools Campaign with help from Michael Zelniker, Sybil Azur, Calum Worthy, and the rest of the Climate Reality Los Angeles chapter. Following the launch, we got to work developing campaign resources and guiding students across the United States to lead change in their communities. Today, I have served as the executive director for over four years, and I’m excited to start a new chapter with the Climate Reality Project.

CR: What are your big takeaways from being involved in the Green Schools Campaign?

Lily: I have spent my adolescent years in Green Schools and it’s facilitated my growth as a leader, activist, and human. Through on-the-ground experience, Green Schools taught me leadership, communication, organizing, and advocacy skills that I would have never learned in a classroom setting. I’ve also made some of my closest friends through the Green Schools Campaign and created relationships with countless mentors.  

With my work in designing Green Schools Campaign’s organizational structure and strategy, I learned key organizing theory that inspired my future career. I hope to pursue a PhD in sociology and research how social movements and organizations operate.

CR: What about this transition for the Green Schools Campaign is exciting to you?

Lily: Up until recently, we operated Green Schools Campaign as a group of full-time high school and college students ranging from ages 14 to 19. As volunteers, we are fueled entirely by our passion for change and deep commitment to this organization and cause. However, because we are volunteers, we have limited capacity and time. We wanted to grow but simply did not have the capacity or resources to expand on the scale we dreamed of, so we focused on crafting a proposal for Climate Reality to adopt the Green Schools Campaign. We were successful, and are excited to bring Green Schools to an even wider audience with Climate Reality.

However, in this transition, we must continue to be grounded in youth leadership. We started Green Schools because there were few spaces for high school students to fight for climate justice in a way that truly allowed us agency. Rarely do high school students have a voice in the policy of their school districts or the organizations that work to uplift them. But in spaces like Green Schools, we are empowered to lead both our communities and the organizations that support us.

Through the development of the Green Schools Advisory Team, we as young people maintain leadership over Green Schools as an initiative. We bring on-the-ground experience as climate justice advocates and as a young person today, to create a space we are excited about. We have the power to guide where the campaign goes with help with implementation and capacity building from Climate Reality.

I want to add that we could have never done this without amazing adult allies like Sybil Azur, Michael Zelnicker, Sidney Miralao, Annika Harley, Joanclair Richter, Madeline Karp, and Cate Henning! These people served as mentors who would answer frantic phone calls to give us guidance, hop on multi-hour-long Zoom calls to discuss strategy, teach us key organizing and advocacy skills, and impart their wisdom and experience to us.

CR: Where do you want to see the Green Schools Campaign go in the future?

Lily: I would love to see the Green Schools Campaign at future Climate Reality Leadership Corps trainings, as a tangible path to action for young people and adult allies. After learning the skills to be a climate justice advocate, they can apply them to fight for renewable energy in their local school districts.

On a larger scale, I want to see active Green Schools Campaigns expand across the country and the world. Green Schools has taught me so much about being a leader, community member, and organizer, and I hope more people can experience this!

Ready to get involved with the Green Schools Campaign? Sign up to learn more about how you can help electrify your school today.