EJ Changemakers recognize oppressive social forces shaping society and are moved to take action against them.

EJ Changemakers must know how to use their voices to convince others to adopt sustainable, just, equitable, and collective behavior.

EJ Changemakers must work with a community coalition to transform institutional and political policies to restore environmental justice. 

As a part of our action project and advocacy for Ohio HB201, my group wanted to reach the public because not enough people were talking about the bill. We couldn't let our lawmakers get away with harming our future so we got to writing. After finishing our piece we published it to The Plain Dealer, our local paper, in hopes to have more pushback from the public against HB201.

Brian Siggers from the Ohio Environmental Council came to the EJ house to inform us about his organization and how to lobby against legislators. Mr.Siggers gave us the opportunity to get a letter handed to the Mayor of Cleveland. We were able to convey to our mayor that we care deeply about Enviromental Justice and he should support the work being done for the benefit of Clevelanders.

To further our HB201 Action we created a petition to engage with the greater Ohio community. With the signatures, we had concrete evidence to show our legislators that people want to adopt California Vehical Emission Standards! 

September 15 marked the Fridays for the Future Global Climate Strike. As EJ students, we felt driven to speak out to our community to inform them of the fossil fuel industry's effects on global warming. This was a community effort that took multiple days to plan and prepare. The hardest aspect of organizing this protest was making sure we were respecting our school while simultaneously causing disruption to inform our peers about the climate emergency. Change is made from disruption and loud voices. 

I have always been passionate about consumption and the effects it has on the environment. Once we watched the Story of Stuff I felt inclined to write a piece on how consumption drives our lives and why that's bad. I sent this piece to the Daily Record in Wooster OH, where I grew up, and I'm hoping to get it published. As people read this piece I hope it encourages them to be more mindful of their consumption and work to advocate for alternate economic systems. 

The Greater Cleveland Climate Action Network came to the EJ House to highlight youth voices for a regional climate video. This was a great way to reflect on my knowledge of climate justice and it gave me an opportunity to convey my message as an EJ advocate to the greater NE Ohio community.

Following our Statehouse visit Senator Smith urged us to reach out to specific legislators to notify them of our efforts against bill 201.