{"id":20912,"date":"2024-07-22T10:00:02","date_gmt":"2024-07-22T14:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/positiveexperience.org\/?p=20912"},"modified":"2024-07-22T16:07:08","modified_gmt":"2024-07-22T20:07:08","slug":"youth-engagement-creates-major-policy-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/positiveexperience.org\/blog\/youth-engagement-creates-major-policy-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Youth engaging in advocacy can make a difference"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Youth advocacy creates a sense of purpose and mattering<\/h2>\n

Opportunities for social and community engagement, one of the Four Building Blocks of HOPE<\/a>, or key types of positive childhood experiences<\/a> (PCEs), allow children and youth to develop a sense of connectedness, purpose, and mattering. A great way for children and youth to experience this Building Block of Engagement is through advocacy. By working together as a group to create action, they learn that their voices matter and that they can make a difference in their community.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1721401322081{margin-bottom: 30px !important;}”]\n

Youth engagement creates major policy decision on climate change<\/h2>\n

In 2020, a group of 16 children and youths, ranging from the age of 5 to 22, filed a lawsuit<\/a> against the Montana state government for violating their state\u2019s constitutional right<\/a> to a clean and healthy environment. During the hearing in June 2023, they showed the connection between the rise of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and increasingly harmful environments such as higher temperatures and more wildfires.<\/p>\n

Judge Kathy Seeley in the First Judicial District Court of Montana ruled entirely in their favor<\/a> determining that the government\u2019s policy of permitting fossil fuel development without evaluating climate change is unconstitutional. This policy change marks one of the strongest decisions on climate change<\/a> ever issued by the courts, and youth lead this change.<\/p>\n

In recent years, more youth-led lawsuits were filed for climate-related impacts. A group of children in Oregon<\/a> sued the federal government, youth in Hawaii<\/a> sued the Hawaii Department of Transportation, and another group sued the Environmental Protection Agency<\/a> (EPA).\u00a0 While these lawsuits ultimately were dismissed, their powerful statements demonstrate the collective voice of the American youth who are taking action for a healthier and safer future.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1721401345540{margin-bottom: 30px !important;}”]\n

Creating a better future through community engagement<\/h2>\n

Youth who advocate for their health and future learn that their voice carries value and importance in their communities. Engaging with their communities gives them a sense of mattering and belonging and, through lessons learned from these positive experiences, helps them grow into strong and resilient adults. In return, communities gain new perspectives and new information from their younger generations. Together, youth and their community can work to create a better future for everyone.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1721401367414{margin-bottom: 30px !important;}”]\n

Ways to encourage youth engagement<\/h2>\n