After six years of discussions between students and the board of trustees, a private high school in California has decided to divest its endowment from dirty energy sources and invest in clean energy sources.
According to the Guardian, the Nueva School, located just outside San Francisco, has pledged to invest a portion of its $55 million endowment in renewable power.
While the Nueva School did not directly invest in coal, oil, or gas, a meaningful total, albeit less than 4%, of its endowment was indirectly invested in dirty energy.
Former Nueva School student Ines Pajot, 18, said, "We had a lot of conversation with the board and our knowledge very much evolved."
The conversations started with the students "calling for divestment," which turned into "divestment and reinvestment." It ended up being a call for investment in renewable energy.
Pajot said, "We realized that, to our core, we wanted to use money to facilitate the energy transition."
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The Nueva School students' call for divestment isn't an isolated incident. High school divestment campaigns are underway in 11 countries.
Seattle Academy and St. Mark's School in Massachusetts have also voted to divest, with St. Mark's starting the process of phasing out those investments.
The students "understand the deep contradiction between educating people for the future and investing in ways that make sure that future won't exist," said environmental activist and author Bill McKibben, according to the Guardian. "They're gently calling out that hypocrisy!"
According to the Columbia Climate School, "Young people recognize that climate change is going to shape their futures—where they live, the work they will do, and their quality of life."
That's why divesting from dirty energy sources and investing in renewable energy sources is crucial to them. They want to create a brighter future for themselves.
Students also want to learn more about the environment and aren't always getting that information in schools.
Those fights for environmental education are also happening. For example, Fairview High School students in Colorado called for a sustainability curriculum and won. The school board is now appealing to the government to improve environmental education nationwide.
The students are using their voices. You can too by speaking up for the change you want to see in your community. If you have investments, you can invest in clean economy stocks or your 401(k) in green energy.
Seeing the students' efforts can inspire you to help create the future you want to see.
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