Background: Educating children and young people (CYP) from marginalized communities about environmental crises poses a unique dilemma as educators strive to prepare them to deal with the climate crisis without compounding the stressors and fear of an unlivable future many already face. We explored how place-based civic science (PBCS) can provide opportunities to engage youth in environmental understanding and action through teamwork in which youth feel that they belong to a group larger than themselves and gain a sense of hope from working with others toward shared goals. We argue that combining PCBS pedagogies of collective action and collaborative learning spaces can help to buffer against distress as CYP grapple with global environmental crises. Methods: We drew from qualitative responses (student reflections and public presentations) of 486 6-12th graders (majority students of color) on what they learned from participating in PBCS projects. Projects involved egalitarian partnerships between adults from environmental organizations, teachers and student teams studying and acting together to mitigate problems and presenting their efforts in public venues. Results: Students' qualitative responses revealed an identification with their team and its goal forged through the work, respect for their voice, belief in their capacity and confidence to take collective action and even enjoyment of working together to address community concerns. Conclusions: PBCS through collective learning/action in student teams and nonhierarchical intergenerational partnerships, and connections that CYP forge with organizations in the broader community, can help to build CYP's agency and efficacy while addressing "emotionally heavy" issues such as climate change.
Key Practitioner Message• CYP are capable of dealing with environmental problems as long as they see that they can be effective in collective action with fellow stakeholders and that a better environmental future is possible. • Education that combines learning about environmental problems, with giving young people the chance to build skills and participate in concrete collective actions that address these issues can help CYP to feel they do not have to solve these problems on their own. • Team building and relationships are an important base for exploring climate change issues, science, and activism, so that students feel safe to explore these issues on their own terms as well as empowered to act in ways that they find culturally relevant. • There is little research on the mental health effects of climate change on Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) young people, and future research should proceed cautiously in light of the potential compounding effects of eco-anxiety added to the challenges these youth face on a daily basis.
