Student feature: The Green Youth Council adds student voices to BVSD’s sustainability work

En Español

Students in BVSD are concerned but energized about the climate crisis and have made BVSD’s new Green Youth Council a space to take collective action and focus on hope. 

The Green Youth Council is a student-led group of passionate middle and high school students in the district. Their goal is to incorporate youth voices into the climate initiatives of BVSD and tackle climate issues with hope and action rather than fear. 

The Green Youth Council has achieved a lot in the year since its establishment, successfully implementing the Seal of Climate Literacy within BVSD, which is a diploma endorsement that graduating seniors can receive to recognize their passion and commitment to climate action. The student perspective that the Green Youth Council added was crucial in the development of the Seal of Climate Literacy rubric, greatly contributing to BVSD’s unique application process, which acknowledges the importance of both extracurriculars and academics in achieving climate literacy. The Green Youth Council also played a major role in advertising the diploma endorsement to current seniors in the district, which led them to receive and review 22 applications. Another project that this group has been working on is creating three new climate courses, all of which have been approved by the BVSD Board of Education. Finally, the Green Youth Council has created multiple elementary school lesson plans to provide teachers with necessary resources to teach about climate change. Superintendent Rob Anderson recently recognized the group’s work with the Superintendent’s Honor Roll award. 

As founding members of the Green Youth Council, we have watched this group grow from a few passionate students to an efficient and regularly meeting group, taking substantial action within the district. At a given meeting, this group can be found developing curriculum materials for teachers, planning a presentation to give at a Colorado youth climate summit, grading Seal of Climate Literacy applications, or discussing ways to incorporate student voice in other aspects of BVSD’s sustainability progress. This diverse group of students across multiple different schools and grade levels allows students to interact with people who they otherwise wouldn’t get the chance to. At each meeting they make sure to update the group on recent sustainability news from the district and always leave room for building hope, sharing one positive message about climate progress in their community. 

In addition to having a systemic impact, the Green Youth Council has also had an impact on its members, providing an outlet for students to express their passion for climate justice that encourages collaborative, grassroots activism to make tangible change in the district. Member and leader of the Green Youth Council Eira Testa says that “being part of a large group of people who also care about the climate and making a difference has inspired me to use my voice and have confidence in what I can achieve.” The Green Youth Council teaches students leadership skills and encourages collaboration between peers and district staff who share their passion for climate action. Eira explains that the collaborative nature of the Green Youth Council has taught her “how to express myself and my ideas and not just listen to what the rest of the group is saying.” 

Additionally, this group provides an invaluable perspective within BVSD’s sustainability sector. Students are the ones to receive the climate education as well as pursue the Seal of Climate Literacy, so it is essential that their voices are present in the development process. Erin Greenwood, the District’s PK through 12 science coordinator and the adult sponsor of the Green Youth Council says that “the amount of care and concern that our young people have highlights for me that this is the biggest problem they are facing not only today but into the future.” Greenwood recognizes that students are the ones that will be most impacted by the climate crisis, so it is crucial that their voices are represented in the decisions made surrounding sustainability. Not only does being involved in the solution help ease climate anxiety in students, but their passionate energy helps fuel the climate movement and bring new perspectives to the table. Greenwood also elaborates that by “talking with many different groups of students at different schools, I’ve learned how much our system does have going for it in terms of curriculum in this area and some significant gaps that could use filling.” As Greenwood points out, student voices are helping to fill these gaps by bringing overlooked issues to the attention of staff. 

The accomplishments of the Green Youth Council thus far showcase the influence that the group has already had on the District, but the group doesn’t plan to stop here. The students of the Green Youth Council have their eyes on many future projects, hoping to continue to make an impact in the future. 

If you are interested in applying for or learning more about the Seal of Climate Literacy in BVSD please refer to this link. Or, if you or someone you know is a middle or high school student and is interested in joining this group of passionate students we welcome you to apply to the Green Youth Council for the 25/26 school year with this link!