Why We Need to Teach Our Kids to Care About People and Planet, Even if it's Not Cool

I’ve spent over a decade working with primary-aged children, helping them connect with nature, care for their communities, and take meaningful action for people and planet. One thing I’ve heard repeatedly from the kids I work with is that it starts being very uncool to care about the environment once they reach 11 or 12 years old.

Unfortunately, this sentiment has been shared by many high school kids I have spoken with. They are teased and laughed at for trying to lead environmental actions at their school and frustrated that their peers are so apathetic that they can't even recycle their rubbish.

This really baffles me and is something that keeps me awake at night. Caring about people and planet is not a trend or a hobby. We literally need the environment to exist. How can it ever be uncool to care?

The thing is, it doesn't have to be this way. I’ve seen again and again that when kids learn to care and act for the environment from young age, that spark carries with them into high school and beyond. They might keep it under wraps for a few years to fit in, but they always finds a way back to it. Some of the kids I've known have gone on to lead protests, start campaigns, and do remarkable things for people and planet. By supporting kids to connect with nature and take action, we are planting the seeds for future leaders who will continue to care and act, even when it's not cool.

If you are a parent or educator, remember this. Every conversation, every small action, every opportunity you give children to engage with people and planet matters. You may not see the impact immediately, but it will show up later in the kids who continue to care, act, and inspire others long after it's stopped being cool.

For more information on this and how we support children to care, connect and act, you can download my free eBook, 3 Powerful Ideas to Help Kids Thrive in a Changing World.