Friday Feature: Generation Earth Movement

Learn about what this youth-based activist group does to combat climate change.

In preparation for this week’s Friday Feature, I got the opportunity to talk with Generation Earth Movement (GEM), a youth group fighting for climate justice founded in 2020. This group is composed of eleven teenagers, ages 14-18, from not only across the US but also across the world, ranging from Colorado, Ohio, and Alabama all the way to Georgia (the country). In my conversation with the group last week, I spoke with Savannah, an activist in Alabama with a passion for art and medicine, and Logan, an activist in Ohio interested in graphic design and education. Though the group has many unique interests and ideas, Generation Earth Movement generally  focuses on education, activism, and artivism.

If you’re not familiar with artivism, it is a type of social activism based in art. In GEM’s case, their artivism includes photos, poetry, and other forms of writing. While it is a lesser known type of activism, artivism is a “quiet but powerful” way to inform people about climate change and inspire them to act, in the words of Savannah. GEM aims to use artivism to bring people into the movement and encourage action from people of all different backgrounds, and to facilitate that, GEM offers a space for people to submit their own media to the website and become involved that way. 

When it comes to activism and education, GEM updates their website with education-related actions that anyone can participate in, and they often post current events relating to climate change and education on their Instagram. 

Ultimately, the members of GEM underscored  the importance of allowing people’s varying talents to shine through, whether it be art, words, or other forms of activism, which is why they have chosen to offer various  options to encourage people to find and use their powerful voices. As social media coordinator Logan said, “anyone can have an impact.”

Generation Earth Movement is hoping to organize more GEM-community actions going forward, so be sure to keep your eyes out for upcoming initiatives. To get involved, you can also submit your artwork to their website. 

As always, thank you for reading, and keep your eyes out for more actions on our Climate Action Explorer!