Pine Ridge Reservation Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota, United States
Abstract Body The crisis of climate change is particularly salient to youth and people of color. Psychologists and community leaders must use their clinical skills, teaching, and advocacy to urgently respond to the increasing threat that climate change poses to these vulnerable groups and to our planet. We present scientific data as well as creations from Indigenous Peoples that highlight the many ways we can take collective action in our practices, schools and communities. Two of the studies present data on school and youth social media programs developed to inspire action in youth despite fears, anxieties, and hopelessness in the face of climate change. One study presents the novel Climate and Racial Justice Scale, which is the first scientifically validated tool to measure knowledge of the relationship between climate change and racial justice. The current findings present minimal methodological limitations and strong results for sparking continued advocacy, policy making and activism. We aim to continue to build programs and measures that reach youth, people of color and all people who believe we must act now to make a difference. This work aligns with ABCT’s mission of building relationships with diverse stakeholders, public education through partnerships, and ethical delivery of science-based interventions. This symposium was developed through the work and collaborations of expert clinicians and researchers who are dedicating their careers to use science, psychology, art and engineering to actively mobilize actions to combat climate change.
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