PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Students across the Portland metro plan to walk out of school on Friday to demand action in the fight against climate change.
Many of those planning to join in the protest say they’re willing to do anything to help preserve the Earth. Thousands of Portland-area kids joined in a similar climate strike in March.
Students at the Cottonwood School of Civics and Science were preparing for Friday’s march by making signs bearing messages for lawmakers.
Opal Crain, a 7th-grade student at the school, plans to join the strike alongside hundreds of her like-minded peers.
“It’s a chance to make a change and I think it’s the kind of chance we should take,” Opal said. “I want to be able to make a change and just because we are not the people who caused it doesn’t mean we are not the people who need to fix it.”
Opal’s mom, Jenny Crain, told KOIN 6 News she’s glad her daughter is passionate about the planet’s future at an early age.
“These guys are stewards of the land,” Jenny said. “I would love them all to be caretakers of this world. So if they can reach each other and form a movement and make the change necessary, then everything could get so much better.”
As for school district officials — they couldn’t be more proud.
“We believe this action by our students is a clear example of learning and advocacy we hope for in all our students. The subject matter aligns with both our district policies and core curriculum,” Portland Public Schools wrote in a letter to parents.