It’s official: The South + ACE = a match made in green heaven! After two weeks traveling through Tennessee and Alabama, talking to high school students about climate science and solutions, I can confidently say—the young people I met are ready to take charge in the youth climate movement.

First, a big shout out to the Green Teams at each school, made up of dedicated groups of students that had started to green their school long before I arrived.  Due to the efforts of the Green Schools Program through the Alliance to Save Energy, green teams have been working to reduce their school’s energy usage all year.

Meeting the each of the green teams was awesome, and they each had their own creative way of getting the green message across:

The Green Team of Roger High School in Florence, AL, rocked shirts that said, “Saving the World, 1 Lightbulb at a Time,” to spread the message of energy conservation at their school. Memphis, TN’s Watt Busters at Douglass High School brought out the “Energy Hog”tour assembly, cracking everyone up and reminding us to not pig out on energy usage (check out the picture!).

And where did I fit in? It was my job to talk about the science behind climate change and remind students that they had the power to make a difference. Across the South, hundreds of students stepped up to get involved and help their schools go green.

As Mr. Ty Long, green Team advisor at Lexington HS, said: “We are ready to save the world – [because] it’s kind of a big deal.”

A huge thank you to the Alliance to Save Energy and the Tennessee Valley Authority for making the trip possible. But most of all, thank you to all of the amazing local project leaders, teachers and students who welcomed ACE into their schools and showed me that the South is a great place to go green.