Prisha Shivani ’26: Everyday without taking action to educate and enhance knowledge of our surroundings, and the place we call home is a day wasted. Although we should appreciate and make an effort to learn about our Earth everyday, taking initiative to organize an Earth Day On would not only create an environment for climate education, but also encourage action and change. The reason I resonate with having an Earth Day On is mostly because of the amount that students would learn from the multiple workshops. Climate education does not only cover the Earth, but also areas such as social justice. Not many people, including me initially, know about the extent of the effect of climate change, specifically how climate issues still disproportionately impact marginalized groups. Having Earth Day On would allow us to scratch more than just the surface, and explore the human side of climate issues as well. With Andover’s large community and outreach, an Earth Day On could also make an impact in multiple corners of the world. Education is the first step to making a change, and this day would be the start.
Ella Kowal ’25: Having an Earth Day is necessary to engage the student population that does not actively participate in climate justice efforts. When I saw how many people chose to beat the lunch lines after asm rather than attend an earth day event, I knew how important having earth day for next year would be. Even if the earth matters to the student population, for most people, it is not a first priority. Some may argue trying to “force” people to engage with climate curriculum is counter-productive as it is important to have passionate students participating. However, many students would not even discover their passion for climate activism in the first place if it is not for a day that shows them different ways to engage with climate change. No one is proposing Earth Day On as a fix-all, it won’t be. Nevertheless, it can be a starting off point for students who will go on to do amazing things for our earth. It is not enough to simply address climate change in different classes; it is necessary to engage students in an all-immersive day of climate curriculum to show that addressing climate change takes precedence.
