By Corina B., Theo F., Henry W., and Oliver W.
On September 20, 2019, young students from all around the world took part in a global climate strike. According to CNN, millions of students around the world participated in the strike, and we were some of those students. We left school early on September 20 to go to the strike. When we arrived downtown, there were already people gathering on the streets. Rachel S., an 8th grader and head of the Georgetown Day School (GDS) Middle School Environmental Sustainability Club, said that she “realized just how many people want to see climate justice in DC.” Eventually, the crowd started to march to the Capitol. You could hear chants like “What do we want? Climate Action! When do we want it? Now!” and “Hey hey, ho ho, climate change has got to go!”
Once we reached the Capitol we all gathered around the stage, where we listened to young climate activists, Congresspeople and local strike organizers among others. We got the opportunity to meet with some Congresspeople, and we were able to tell them what we thought about Congress’ inaction on climate change. We also thanked them for letting our voices be heard and for addressing the strike. Overall, the September 20 climate strike showed us that kids can make a difference, and influence adults. It’s everyone's responsibility to try to solve climate change. Addy B., a 6th grader who attended the march, explained that the march taught her “you have to be persistent in persuading people about what you care about.”