Thanks to a new state law, all public schools in Illinois are now required to teach students about climate change. The law was proposed by two Chicago high school students, Iris Shadis-Greengas and Grace Brady. In 2024, they teamed up with a state representative to write and submit their bill. It passed that summer!
Brady is now studying sustainability at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She believes schools are the best place to give students the tools to act on climate change. “More of us have the power to make change than we think,” says Brady.