Only 12% of young people feel they know a lot about the causes of climate change, and only 10% feel they know a lot about the solutions, according to a report released at the Aspen Institute’s Planet Media Summit.
Yesterday, attendees heard the premiere of “Wild Hope,” a new song by the creators of the YouTube series Lila Goes Viral.
Contact: Jon Purves
Media Relations Director
The Aspen Institute
Jon.Purves@aspeninstitute.org
Los Angeles, CA, April 11, 2025 – The Planet Media Summit wraps up today with visits to LAUSD schools to see climate learning in action. Organized by the Aspen Institute’s This is Planet Ed initiative in partnership with the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Los Angeles Unified School District, and the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, participants discussed the vital role of media and education in developing children’s climate literacy.
During the summit, a new report was published revealing that many young people do not feel confident in their understanding of climate change and climate solutions and demonstrate misconceptions. Delivered by This Is Planet Ed at the Aspen Institute in partnership with EdWeek Research Center, Youth Climate Literacy: A 2025 National Snapshot contained the following key findings drawn from a national survey of 13-19 year olds:
- 85% of teens are moderately or very worried about climate change.
- 12% feel they know a lot about the causes of climate change, and only 10% feel they know a lot about the solutions.
- Misperceptions are widespread: only 54% of teens identified greenhouse gas emissions from human activity as the biggest contributor to climate change, and only 33% recognize our changing climate is affecting the area where they live now.
- Only 32 states and DC teach human-caused climate change in science standards, and only 9 states and DC teach climate change in social studies.
The report’s findings, which suggest a strong interest in climate change from young people, but a relative lack of educational opportunities, underscore the need for climate-focused narratives in children’s media and education. To address this, the summit gathered leaders in media, education, climate, and content creators to share ideas and discuss innovative and authentic ways to reach young people.
Speakers on Thursday included Arnold Schwarzenegger, who rallied the audience to “terminate pollution” in conversation with Dean Willow Bay, Stephanie Hsu, Gary Knell, Joe Hanson, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, Wendy Abrams, and many more. Examples of positive media showcased and discussed included Jane (Apple TV+), Spirit Rangers (Netflix), The Wild Robot (Universal Pictures), and the YouTube series BeSmart and SciShow Kids.
“Transforming education is the most powerful tool toward building the resilient and hopeful future our children deserve,” said Alberto M. Carvaloh, Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. “True resilience in the face of climate change is not just about recovery, it’s about empowering our students with the knowledge and agency to succeed in our changing world.”
This morning, attendees will be taken by electric bus to LAUSD schools to see climate learning in action, with site visits to 9th Street Elementary, Virgil Middle School, and Sotomayor Arts and Sciences Magnet. At Sotomayor, attendees including Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, Planet Media Co-Chair Gary Knell, and climate activist Vic Barrett will join the tour of the school’s CTE Agriscience Pathway. This immersive program features a fully operational, 1.75-acre farm that is built, maintained, and managed by students.
The full agenda for yesterday’s programming can be viewed here, and recordings will be published here in the coming days. During the “Celebration of LA” segment of the summit Planet Media premiered the song “Wild Hope,” a powerful response to the recent wildfires in Los Angeles to draw the connection between the wildfires, climate change, and our collective responsibility to help children navigate our changing climate. Planet Media released the song along with tips for parents for starting a conversation on climate change with their kids. The song was written by the creators of Lila Goes Viral, one of the awardees from the Planet Media Call for Pitches,
Planet Media also created an “Every Day, Every Day” Playlist with all of the content created by the Call for Pitches awardees, which will be featured on YouTube Kids through Earth Day. The initiative has also curated a Google Play teacher-approved app list with apps that help kids explore environmental issues and climate solutions. This list will be featured by Google Play starting April 17 and will be available here.
Planet Media was established by This Is Planet Ed at the Aspen Institute to harness the reach and influence of media to support children and their families in building scientifically-grounded awareness and understanding of climate science and solutions to empower them to take action. It is co-chaired by Gary Knell, former President and CEO of National Geographic and Sesame Workshop, and Katharine Hayhoe, Chief Scientist at The Nature Conservancy.
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This Is Planet Ed is an initiative of the Aspen Institute Energy & Environment Program that intends to unlock the power of education as a force for climate action, climate solutions, and environmental justice to empower the rising generation to lead a sustainable, resilient, and equitable future. This Is Planet Ed works across Early Years, K-12, Higher Education, and Children’s Media to build our societal capacity to advance climate solutions. Visit www.thisisplaneted.org and join the conversation by following This Is Planet Ed on X (Twitter) and Instagram.
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.