Strikes and rallies in support of climate justice don’t just happen. They take weeks to months of planning. The driving force behind local planning is the Portland Youth Climate Strike (PYCS), a student-led organization that prioritizes progressive and informative action against climate change.
Two Lincoln seniors, Ellie Brown and Jimin Lee, are among the seven Portland teens involved in PYCS leadership.
According to its website, PYCS uses strikes and rallies to highlight the urgent need for city and statewide action.
Their most recent action, on Oct. 25, 2024, was a rally in Portland intended to encourage young voters to register, as well as bring awareness to the climate crisis.
“[Planning a strike or rally] first starts off with figuring out when we want it to happen, what our general route is going to be, and how students are going to get there,” Brown said. “We planned [the most recent rally] in about a month, and we had a turnout of around 75 people.”
The planning process comes down to four organizing committees in PYCS: logistics, policy, creative and communications. The logistics team plans routes, locations and other coordination details. The policy team decides the demands for the strike. The creative team helps to create unique and notable signs and banners, and the communications team gets the word out, primarily through social media.
According to Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), the climate strike in Sept. 2023 included students from Portland, Bend, Florence and Salem from approximately 21 schools. Lee says PYCS intends to plan smaller events for the rest of the year.
“We’re not trying to do another strike this year because we think it’s a little too rushed if we try to plan another one,” said Lee.
Although Lincoln’s Environmental Justice Club (EJC) doesn’t assist in planning events, it plays the role of informing the student body.
“We mainly help [PYCS] spread the word at Lincoln,” said EJC leader Mia Herrin. “[We] help with communication and also send people to their events.”
PYCS advocates for state leaders to acknowledge the effects of climate change on the environment.
“We were trying to get Governor Tina Kotek to declare a climate emergency because by doing that we can actually make change at a higher level,” said Lee.
According to OPB, declaring a climate emergency would have given the governor authority over all state agencies to use all resources available in order to prevent or help alleviate the climate crisis within the state of Oregon.
Kotek has not declared a climate emergency.
Junior Kirin Cowell-Shah, who attended the Oct. 25 rally, emphasized the importance of participating in climate justice.
“It’s a very tangible way for kids to realize something so important,” said Cowell-Shah. “When we see all the people from across the Metro area in support and trying to advocate for this, […] we know that it’s more than just this one thing impacting your school.”
Both Brown and Lee noted the current lack of PYCS members.
“We’re trying to recruit a bunch of people,” said Lee. “We’re pretty low on numbers. A lot of [members] were seniors last year and they left, so if anyone is interested in joining any of the teams, they can reach out.”
Anyone interested in joining PYCS or attending rallies and strikes in support of climate justice can follow @portlandclimatestrike on Instagram to find contact information and frequent updates on any upcoming events.
Additional reporting by Coral Platt.