[Student Reporters] Teens get up close and personal with earth
By Angela Kim, Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, Grade 10
With many environmental issues rising to attention, more teenagers are getting involved in the efforts to make a difference. Three environmental programs that students can participate in are the Linking Girls to the Land program for Girl Scouts, the KYCC tree planting programs, and the Climate Ambassador program.
Linking Girls to the Land gives girls opportunities to interact with nature and its problems, whereas in school, they would only be learning about the environment through books.
Many girls approve of this program. Marissa Yamada, a sophomore student, said, “It would make them more aware of their surroundings, thus having them make the right choices in order to make the world a better place. [For example,] they wouldn’t litter because it [would] pollute our home.”
The Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC) tree planting programs teach students about the significance of plant life. There are three steps Korean American teens can take to protect trees and promote tree planting. The first step is to join the KYCC tree planting program to plant trees around Koreatown. The second step is to join the Million Trees Los Angeles Program, which gets trees planted at businesses or homes. The third step is to take care of the trees planted by the KYCC members.
The Climate Ambassador program is another environmental program open to teenagers. Students can become Climate Ambassadors by raising awareness of environmental issues in their community.
“Things don’t work that well with just one person doing all the work, and if there [are] more people, there is a better chance of a great idea being dumped out,” Adreana Lee, a sophomore student, said.