Thanks to the work of two Naperville teens, climate change will be required teaching for all high school students statewide by next fall.
Why climate change?
While Neuqua Valley High School graduate Grace Brady and Naperville Central High School senior Iris Shadis-Greengas each did their own class project on climate change, both had a hand in bringing about legislation on the subject as it relates to education.
“Climate change is the biggest if not the most pressing issue of my generation’s time,” said Brady.
“Climate change is such a controversial issue and seems to be something not a lot of people know much about,” said Shadis-Greengas.
Both Brady and Shadis-Greengas looked at other countries such as New Zealand and how climate change education is enforced there. Following their research, the two worked with Illinois State Representative Janet Yang-Rohr to draft potential legislation on climate change education. Their two bills ultimately became one: House Bill 4895, which would mandate all Illinois public high schools teach the subject.
“They were not learning about it,” said Representative Yang-Rohr. “We want to make sure that our students are educated because our young people are the key to getting things done and I think that they recognize that too. And through education, we can start addressing these climate crises.”
“I feel like it is also important to not just know the foundation and what climate change is but also to know the solutions and what we can actually do,” said Brady. “Otherwise, it gets into a doom and gloom way of thinking that is not very helpful.”
A point of pride for Naperville
Nearly a year in the making, that bill finally became law this summer after passing through the Illinois State Legislature and being signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker.
“I can’t even believe it,” said Shadis-Greengas. “Everything that we learn about is because of legislation and now that’s a legislation that I have influenced, and a lot of people are now going to be affected by that in the future.”
It just so happens that Grace is the daughter of Naperville Central High School social studies teacher Seth Brady, and Iris was one of his students last year while working on the project.
“I am extremely proud of Grace and really all the young people I’ve work with, and I think about me at their young age, just the understanding and capacity of these issues and their willingness to affect change,” said Seth. “People sometimes count Gen Z out but it’s an incredible generation and one that is willing to act on their values.”
Joining other students who’ve spurred legislation
Both girls are now the latest to join a few other students under Seth’s leadership who also had their research spark bills that would later become law, related to everything from fentanyl overdoses to EpiPen use to an expanded Illinois State Report Card.
“When you look at the legislation coming out of my office, so much of it really does come from our students,” said Representative Yang-Rohr. “I think that speaks to so many things, of course, how engaged they are and how much they care about the community. And from those ideas and that advocacy, we have passed laws and I think that’s just so amazing.”
Setting future generations up for success
While the new law requires climate change to be taught in Illinois schools, it leaves how to do so up to each individual school district, which all have until the start of the 2025-2026 school year – when it takes effect – to incorporate climate change into their curriculum. In the meantime, Grace hopes this legislation has a domino effect.
“Hopefully this bill will help other students know that they can take action on the issues they care about,” said Grace.
Grace, now a freshman at the University of Illinois in Champagne-Urbana and Iris, now a senior at Naperville Central, both are already taking action to change the climate of education for future generations.
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