How can young people make their voices heard on climate change?

Young people are pissed. Their futures are on the line and the adults are just sitting back and watching. No more.

In 2019, 7.5 million first time voters were graduating high school and going on to vote in their first elections. We wanted to harness their energy and send a message to politicians that Generation Z is mad, determined and engaged. So we used one of the biggest stages they have: their high school commencement speeches.

In May of 2019, we recruited over 500 valedictorians in 45 states to read the same speech during their commencement addresses demanding politicians have a plan to get to zero emissions, or risk getting zero of their votes. This was not the Class of 2019. This was the Class of 0000.

Some schools prohibited students from mentioning climate change in their speeches, claiming it was too political. As if their very survival was a partisan issue.