Of the 83 participants surveyed, 93% ranked themselves at a 5 or above on their climate change education levels on a scale of 1 to 10. Furthermore, 77% ranked themselves at a 6 or above, and 60% ranked themselves at a 7 or above. The majority of the subjects believe that they are fairly well-educated to very educated on climate change. Of those who ranked themselves at a 5 or above on education levels, 77% of them scored themselves at a 3 or above on how often they think about climate change on a scale of 1 to 5. These students tended to rank themselves quite highly in these two categories, yet, 27% of those people then reported that they were unsure about, or claim to have not seen, the impacts of climate change. These results indicate high confidence levels among high schoolers on their knowledge levels, however, there is still a significant portion of these students who claimed to have high education levels on the subject who did not recognize the impacts of climate change that are plaguing the planet.

The effects of climate change can be found in numerous aspects of life, from increases in weather abnormalities, to climate migrations. The fact that a significant number of students claimed to not recognize any impacts whatsoever, or were confused as to what these effects

could be, is alarming. Climate education is a crucial necessity to understanding and navigating our constantly changing world. These inconsistencies in the data between education confidence and actual subject matter knowledge indicate the importance of consistent and reliable education on climate change that is fluid with time. Assembly Bill 285, signed into law in 2023 in California, mandates that all public schools include education on climate change in their science classes, covering causes and effects, and mitigation and adaptation techniques1. These changes were required to be implemented no later than this past academic year. This legislative change is so pivotal for young people because it can empower them to not only pursue a career in climate change, but also educate them on the future effects they will face from a changing climate. Climate effects are constantly evolving, with global temperatures increasing worldwide and green technologies expanding. It is critical that students are informed about our changing society as it evolves, so that they are best prepared to enter the world and enact genuine change in it. 

1 “Legislation to Support Climate Change Education Enacted in California | National Center for Science Education.” 2023. Ncse.ngo. 2023. 

https://ncse.ngo/legislation-support-climate-change-education-enacted-california.

As of 2025, sea levels in San Diego have risen around 6 inches in the past 100 years. Average annual temperatures on the West Coast have increased twice as fast as global average temperatures. Wildfires in California have been becoming increasingly extreme and threatening. The effects of climate change can be seen all around us, but do people really care about the environment? Specifically, do young people? After all, caring about climate change is the first step to making a difference and preventing further destruction. Today’s youth will have to be the next generation of change-makers. The environmental center of San Diego set out to understand how young people feel about climate change through a survey administered to high school students. We received a total of 83 answers from students from various local high schools, including Scripps Ranch High School, Steele Canyon High School, Canyon Crest Academy, and more. The survey had a variety of questions meant to assess the knowledge and level of worry that the students possessed about climate change. 

For example, this survey asked high school students whether or not they had seen or experienced an effect of climate change. Results showed that 74.7% of 83 high school students claimed that they had indeed witnessed some sort of effect. 15.7% said that they had not seen any effects, and 9.6% were unsure or had some other kind of answer. The effects of climate change that some claimed to have witnessed included habitat loss, extreme weather events, and a lack of biodiversity. Some had seen effects through the internet or news, and some had seen real-life changes. One account was of a student visiting a community that they had not been to in 9-10 years. They compared temperatures from the past and present and found that it got much hotter in the area, which made their trip much less enjoyable. Another student reported seeing videos of polar bears facing habitat loss and extinction, which made them very sad. Another question on the survey asked students how often they thought about climate change on a scale of 1-5. The closer you rated yourself to 5, the more often you thought about climate change. The results showed that 64.7% rated themselves at a 4 or 5, 24.7% rated themselves at a 3, and 10.6% rated themselves at a 1 or 2. 

Further analysis of this data showed that students who said they had not seen any effects of climate change had an average rating of 3. On the other hand, those who claimed that they had witnessed climate change were more likely to rate themselves higher. Roughly 59% of students who saw effects gave themselves a 4 or 5, and 79% gave themselves a 3 or higher. This shows that being familiar with the results of climate change made students more likely to think about it more frequently. Clearly, young people can and do have an interest in climate change. Their care for the environment is of utmost importance for the future and our planet. 

In order to support this interest in the environment, organizations must continue educating the next generation on climate change. This education should give students proper knowledge of how global warming directly affects their communities and lives. This will show how climate change is a penetrating issue and will be a call to action for young people to make a change. Our environment is what supports us, so we must support it. 

Sources: 

• FAQ: Sea-Level Rise and California | Scripps Institution of Oceanography. 
• Infographic: Western Wildfires and Climate Change 

Climate change – the leaky faucet, the snoozed alarm clock, the thought often at the back of our minds. A planet that once had a full tank is now running on just fumes. A few more miles in the wrong way, and there’s no way back. 

People are talking about climate change – the news, social media, you name it. But when it comes to actually solving the issue, most don’t even bat an eye. When it comes to career planning, a green path is seldom. It’s sometimes unappealing. But what if our planet’s biggest problem could become the greatest opportunity for your future?

Even though many students get adequate exposure to climate change and its dire consequences, there’s a stark disconnect. The root of this issue lies in the stigma around the industry: High impact, but low pay. That’s exactly the mindset that needs to be reset. Students need to see climate change as not only an industry that is fulfilling, but one that is becoming increasingly profitable. This isn’t about choosing between passion and paycheck. It’s about choosing BOTH. 

That’s where ECOSD comes in: To tackle this issue and show students that careers in climate can be impactful and lucrative, and to shift the narrative altogether. Imagine podcasts and speaker series that didn’t just highlight the effects of climate change; instead, they hosted young professionals who became successful in the field or consulted up-and-coming green companies. This engagement in climate careers doesn’t end with just informing the crowd. It’s purpose is to inspire the next generation, using innovative, young leaders to pave the way to a cleaner and greener world. 

Schools could promote and host college and career fairs that highlight climate-related majors and careers, drawing in students in every possible way. This would attract them to aspects of the climate industry they never even knew existed, widening the range of interests and making sure that every student finds something worth fighting for (and profiting off of, of course)! Schools and NGOs could also advertise climate-focused internship and volunteer opportunities as an incentive for high school and college students to add to their resume, giving them real-world experience in the field that not only empower them to help the cause, but strengthen their character and leadership skills as a whole. 

To better educate and engage students, organizations need to stop treating climate change like a dull requirement, and instead start treating it like the dynamic and inspirational industry it is becoming. Through collaboration with youth voices to really ‘speak to the crowd’, students can innovate solutions rather than just memorize problems. 

Climate doesn’t have to remain a looming threat. It can transform into a launchpad that propels students toward success. We just have to show them how.

The first major thing that can be noticed from the results is that many students gave themselves high ratings when it came to rating their education on climate change. But despite that high rating, many went on to provide vague reasons as to why they’d never pursue a green career. These reasons varied from people wanting to join the medical field, or believing that green careers just don’t pay enough and think it isn’t as diverse as it actually is. Despite the majority of students stating they rarely think about the effects of climate change and gave very low numbers, they went on to say that they’ve seen the impacts of climate change and even went on to provide real life examples. So even though many (not all) students went on to rate their education on climate change higher on the scale, they rarely think about climate change but also gave similar answers about where they get their information from. A small pattern that can be seen in that category is that many students get their information from social media platforms and a couple news channels. This shows that many students have only limited knowledge about climate change, and likely only know the surface of it. Another small pattern that could be noticed is that those who gave themselves a realistic score when it came to their education about climate change, went on to answer questions more realistically but more importantly they wouldn’t have a problem going into the green field. This showcases the importance of education when it comes to all sectors of the environmental field, because although for example a student stated their education was a 5, they were going to major in environmental science. 

Majority of the results state that they don’t follow politics because of climate change. There could be several factors that would cause such an outcome. One being that many people just don’t care because it’s not an issue that they see affects them, they’d rather pay attention to things like the economy or their own personal rights. Until climate change becomes an issue that directly affects their way of living, many won’t pay attention to it. On top of that it may be hard for some people to grasp the concept of climate change, and find it hard to understand. It’s an issue that affects us not only physically but also politically. The lack of trusted sources and education can lead to many not understanding this issue at all. Overall we can see many different patterns throughout the survey, but one thing is clear. Many overestimate their knowledge about climate change and underestimate the importance and diverse opportunities that come along with it. 

Solution:

The best solution to fix this problem of lack of education is social media. In today’s time, social media is the most useful tool that can be used to correctly educate and spread awareness about climate change in many different factors across a diverse range of people. Implementing climate change education into school curriculums will allow students to learn about the issue of climate change, as well as careers within the field to expand their choices rather than presenting them with the traditional doctor, lawyer, engineer path. Involving students in clubs and taking part in youth advocacy can blossom into a new generation that is educated and involved in the ongoing issue of climate change.

Social media’s role as a news source for climate change

In recent weeks, the Environmental Center of San Diego surveyed about 80 high school students on their views about climate change. The group consisted of 31 freshmen, 8 sophomores, 26 juniors, and 13 seniors. When asked about sources for climate change education, 42.17% cited news outlets (CNN, CNBC, etc.), and 38.55% cited social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, Youtube). Other sources were also listed but they were either less frequent or irrelevant to this topic. However, one large disadvantage of using social media as a means for education is that these companies can use algorithms to only show certain information, giving them the ability to warp outgoing information to their advantage. This fact only gets worse after considering that Bytedance, TikTok’s parent company, is closely affiliated with the Chinese government, and China’s ability to control news could let it manipulate information consumed by many people around the world. In contrast, many news organizations, such as CNN or CNBC, have journalistic standards and multi-step fact checking processes that work to maintain accuracy and an unbiased version of the truth. In addition, disinformation can also be spread on social media, as content can be quickly published and shared, giving the chance for disinformation to go viral and/or reach a large audience. Also, creating a social media account has a very low barrier to entry, making it easy for almost anyone to publish content, regardless of their credibility or the accuracy of their information. The spread of disinformation and manipulated information can undermine the credibility of science, weaken support for climate action, and distort students’ view on climate change as a whole. Climate disinformation usually comes in the form of climate denial, when climate change is claimed to be either a completely-natural phenomenon or a hoax. However, many also try to undermine its importance and list other causes for our warming planet. Although more respondents cited news outlets as a source of education than social media, it is important to not only question the credibility of such sources, but to also look for the entire story, not just what appears in a post or an article. The use of social media algorithms can easily show certain parts of a story, but not the others, making it important to look for the full, accurate, and unbiased picture. A simple solution would be to stop using social media for news altogether, or to examine if research from credible sources backs up or contradicts news found on social media. By using multiple credible sources to learn about climate change, anyone can improve their knowledge and make sure they are absorbing reliable information.

How organizations can better educate and engage students about climate change

While climate change is becoming an increasingly urgent global issue, particularly for younger generations who will face its long-term consequences, many students still lack access to comprehensive education and meaningful engagement on the topic. Although basic awareness exists—most students are familiar with the general concept of climate change and some of its causes and effects—the high school curriculum often does not delve deeply into the science, societal impacts, or potential solutions. This gap in education can result in reduced interest, limited critical understanding, and a lack of motivation to take action. To address this, organizations can collaborate with schools to integrate more thorough, interdisciplinary climate education into existing subjects like science, geography, and social studies. Outside the classroom, organizations can enhance engagement by creating mentorship initiatives, internships, and volunteer opportunities that give students hands-on experience in the field. For example, students might work with local environmental nonprofits, participate in habitat restoration projects, or join youth climate advocacy groups. These types of programs not only deepen understanding, but also build real-world skills such as communication, teamwork, and time management. With more exposure to education and activities related to climate change, students will be more likely to stay engaged and committed to climate action. Additionally, creating more opportunities for students to get involved and learn about climate change can lead to more future careers in sustainability and environmental fields and a well-informed, prepared generation of young students. Additionally, many students in our survey indicated a lack of interest in pursuing a career in sustainability due to its comparatively lower salary. While sustainability and environmental science does have a lower median salary than many of its other STEM counterparts, careers fighting climate change will only get more important as the issue worsens. As issues such as habitat loss, rising global temperatures, and resource scarcity become more severe, the demand for professionals who can address them will continue to rise. Moreover, much of the work in climate science—such as field research, policy development, and community engagement—relies on human judgment and interpersonal skills, making it less susceptible to automation by artificial intelligence. By explaining and emphasizing the long-term value of a career in climate science, organizations can increase interest among students entering the workforce.