Youth as Climate Change Messengers: A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words. Issue 6 (December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hendrickson Lohmeier, Jill; Thompson, Shanna Rose; Chen, Robert F.; Mishol, Stephen
• Is Part Of: Science communication. Volume 43:Issue 6(2021)
• Page Start: 814
• Page End: 823
• Publication Date: 2021-12
• Subjects: climate change -- environmental communication -- public engagement -- public understanding of science -- youth art for science communication; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Knowledge, Sociology of -- Periodicals; Communication in science -- Periodicals; Communication of technical information -- Periodicals; Communication in medicine -- Periodicals; Information scientifique -- Périodiques; Information technique -- Périodiques; Communication en sciences sociales -- Périodiques; Communication en médecine -- Périodiques; 300.14
• DOI: 10.1177/10755470211044825
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1075-5470

Abstract

Artwork created by children can effectively communicate science content, especially for topics that are of universal concern for the public but may cause apprehension, like climate change. This commentary describes artwork from a youth art contest about climate change in which the winning art was displayed on public buses. Young artists learned about climate science while creating images that adults and youth easily engaged with in public spaces. Thus, we suggest that connecting youth with science through art, and then using youth-generated art to engage the general public in science learning can be an effective vehicle for science communication.