The Climate Leadership Information Program is a new after-school initiative that has been put in place at a few schools in Miami-Dade. Freshman Gabriela McGrath Moreira has aided in the process of instituting the program at Coral Gables Senior High, allowing students to be a part of something new. This club will provide students with opportunities that will allow them to make a difference in not only the community but in the world.

CLIP allows students to become certified climate speakers. Through this program, students can become aware of climate topics that matter most to them and then learn new ways to speak on these issues. The curriculum includes climate lectures 101, training that helps students improve their leadership and communication skills, peer-to-peer presentations and even making campaigns to promote civic engagement.

Why is it important to speak out on climate issues? Climate issues such as rising sea levels, melting ice caps, climate policies, holes in the Ozone layer and many more significantly impact our planet, especially here in South Florida where we are even more susceptible to some of these problems. In order to prevent these issues from worsening, people need to speak out about them in order to gain the attention of people in power. Giving the youth opportunities to join programs like CLIP is pivotal to putting a stop to the huge issues our planet is facing when it comes to the climate crisis. By joining CLIP, students are given the opportunity to learn how to voice their opinion and truly make a difference in helping the climate.
“The way we treat the planet will affect us in the future, especially in Florida. At the end of the day, these issues are what we will either have to deal with now or later on, and it is better to take care of them now. I am expecting to become more educated on climate change and what I can do to end it. I try my hardest to be eco-friendly, but it’s sometimes very difficult. I think this program is an easy and accessible way to be educated on climate change and spread awareness,” freshman Anabella Rodriguez said.

Students at our school will now have the ability to take part in this program and learn from everything it has to offer. Students will have another platform to voice their opinion on the issues that matter the most to them. Opportunities to participate in clubs such as these do not come all too often. Therefore, students that want to make a difference in the climate and bring forth change should take the opportunity of joining this program to make a difference.

Students of any grade level can join CLIP by clicking this link. They can fill out the form and submit it to sign up. This will allow them to be a part of the program for the 2021-2022 school year.