Advancing climate justice through art

The Zonta Club of Tuguegarao, Philippines, and Teacher Anna’s The Apple tree School, Inc. (TATATS) recently joined hands to raise awareness for climate justice.

Inspired by Zonta International’s Zonta Says NOW to Climate Justice campaign, the club and TATATS co-created an Earth Day 2025 celebration dubbed “Earth Day Masterpiece” that would leave lasting imprints on the minds of young learners — not just through lessons, but through art. With crayons as their tools and Mother Earth as their muse, students from Nursery to Grade 5 came together in a vibrant display of hope and creativity.

The event echoed the message that climate change is not a future problem, but a present reality. Each child’s poster emerged a story: trees swaying in unpolluted air, cleaning the surroundings, conserving energy and people — young and old — planting seeds not just in soil, but in society.

For the club, this collaboration wasn’t just a one-day affair. It was an extension of their unwavering commitment to empower communities and protect the most vulnerable. Climate change affects everyone, but it disproportionately impacts women, children and the marginalized. The Zonta Says NOW to Climate Justice campaign became a declaration for the club.

The children’s artworks were full of innocence, but behind each color was a profound message: we care, and we act. From the tiniest hands gripping a crayon to the older students guiding the younger ones, the atmosphere was rich with cooperation, compassion and consciousness.

As one student proudly explained her poster, “This is our Earth. We need to love it like we love each other.” The students weren’t just learning about climate action. They were becoming its champions.

The club and TATATS have shown that climate justice starts in the classroom, in the art room and in the conversations we have with the next generation. The children have learned to love the Earth through art as well as action.