Youth Led Environmental Education: Why it is so powerful, and how Idaho’s youth are leading the way

Lilly Wilson

BSU student

Youth Salmon Protector

Youth Salmon Protectors delivering postcards to Senator Mike Crapo’s office.

When young people are given the opportunity to teach other young people about something they’re passionate about, something truly magical happens: so much curiosity, creativity, and ownership grows within each student. Research supports peer-to-peer and youth-led models of environmental education, as they tend to deepen engagement, foster leadership skills, and expand reach. A 2014 study done by Stanford on peer-to-peer environmental education found that youth can become “change agents” when they teach and motivate each other, building community, bringing together unique perspectives, and inspiring students. Within the environmental education field, programs that shift leadership and authority to youth by letting them plan, execute, and reflect, yield stronger gains in confidence, decision making, and continued civic engagement. 

It is one thing to read about the power of peer-to-peer engagement, but it’s another thing to really see it in action. With a case study like the Youth Salmon Protectors (YSP), we can see how students engaging with each other truly creates a strong community, builds leadership skills, and increases awareness and critical thinking within environmental issues.

YSP is a coalition of youth from across the Pacific Northwest who are devoted to wild salmon advocacy, outreach, and education. Because YSP is run by youth who inspire one another, passion spreads very organically. After protests and advocacy meetings, YSP members can be found singing together around campfires or participating late-night sign painting events, creating a real sense of collective purpose and togetherness. The youth themselves feed one another’s energy, reducing any burnout or boredom. Having youth in leadership positions also helps hold up the less experienced or less confident members, creating a safe learning environment where students are excited to get involved and aren’t worried about making mistakes. 

A future Youth Salmon Protector excited to advocate for salmon by sending a postcard to his elected official.

In a more traditional education setting, educators can utilize practices inspired by the Youth Salmon Protectors to maximize the benefits of peer-to-peer learning. This can look like giving students real authority over project topics, creating mentorship opportunities across grade levels, and teaching life skills such as public speaking or engaging with elected officials. Celebrating diverse forms of creative expression as valid demonstrations of knowledge also helps students feel more “in charge” of their learning, driving passion and innovation. For Idaho schools, YSP offers a powerful model for connecting local ecology, like salmon and rivers, with student voices. Educators can strengthen this approach by partnering with youth groups, supporting students who are looking to get involved in their communities, building connections to the world around them, and empowering youth to lead in their own peer networks.

Overall, peer education and youth-led models aren’t just an interesting theory, they are catalytic for educating and inspiring youth about the environment. When youth teach youth, they spark agency, increase participation, and multiply impact. With YSP’s example, educators have a real, place-based model to look at how successful peer-to-peer education can really be.