What just happened with the United States & the Paris Agreement? Why it’s more important than EVER to get our kids involved

June 1, 2017 (or doomsday, as I like to refer to it) will go down in history as a day to remember…but probably not in a good way.  It will signify the day that the United States announced that it was withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, and as you can see- one of the For-Purpose Kids is pretty upset about it.

Wait…what just happened? 

Yes, the current administration in the US just announced that they will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, a global initiative to address climate change and the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet.  And out of ALL the countries in the world, the US has now become only the 3^rd country (in the WHOLE WORLD) that will not be participating in this important action, joining this short list with only Syria and Nicaragua.  Now we, at For-Purpose Kids, try to steer clear of discussing politics most of the time, as our mission is focused on inspiring more empathy, compassion and purpose in the next generation through giving and volunteering.  But we feel that this decision is not a political one, but a moral one and it is crucial that we address it as it relates to our mission.

So…what can we do about it? 

Well, we take matters into our own hands and begin to discuss this landmark decision with our kids and start teaching them about the importance of protecting the environment…now.  Not tomorrow, or next week, or when school starts, or next year…but NOW.

Do I really have to? 

YES! Now is the time to be the example we want to be for our kids- this is no joke.  If we want our great grandkids to have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink, we need to get our families and communities involved in activities that will ensure these things are possible.

But do I really really have to?

Unless you want to find yourself in a scene straight from the movie, The Day After Tomorrow, YES! You need to get it together, pull out your gardening gloves and trash bags and get signed up to get involved TODAY.  And we’ll make it easy for you.  Here’s a list of 10 kid friendly volunteer ideas you can easily do to teach the next generation how to help protect the environment through giving and volunteering:

1. Move to France…just kidding (but not really- because their President actually seems to care and has just declared that he is going to “Make the Planet Great Again”).
2. Pick up trash around your neighborhood and community or sign up to do a beach clean-up in your area. In conjunction with these activities, you can stress the importance of throwing garbage away in the proper places.  Litter is not only awful to look at, but it is very harmful to animals and plants.
3. Ride your bike or walk instead of driving to your destinations- not only is this good for your healthy but it will also help to reduce pollution. If the distance is too far and transportation is necessary, consider carpooling or taking public transportation with your kids.
4. Plant a garden in your backyard. Again, not only is this a healthy option for your family, but growing your own fruits and vegetables will cut down on so many things that have an impact on the environment (packaging, pollution from transporting food to the store, etc.)
5. Plant a tree in your yard or community. For only $10, you can become a member of the Arbor Day Foundation (arborday.org) and can choose to receive 10 FREE TREES to plant in your yard or opt for 10 trees to be planted in either a threatened rain forest or a US forest- how awesome is that?!?
6. Join a community garden. If you don’t have the space or resources to plant a garden or trees in your own yard, you can join a garden in your community and learn about the benefits of gardening while making new friends at the same time.
7. Set up recycling in your home, school or other areas in the community where it is not yet established. You can designate receptacles and areas to recycle paper, plastic and cardboard.
8. Host a fundraising event, such as a lemonade stand, bake sale or neighborhood garage sale and donate the money to organizations that support the environment, such as the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, the National Audubon Society, the Environmental Defense Fund or the World Wide Fund for Nature.
9. Volunteer at a local nature center or environmental organization. Click here to use the volunteer resources on our website or go to for-purposekids.com/pages/volunteering to locate family friendly volunteer opportunities within your zip code.
10. When traveling, learn about the local environment and research any organizations you can visit while there or help to support once you return home.
11. Write letters to your representatives in the government at the local, state and federal levels and let them know about the environmental issues that are important to you. Click here to enter your zip code to find contact information for the elected officials in your area. 

In addition to our list, click here to check out this article from our friends at Doing Good Together for more family friendly volunteer opportunities to help protect the environment.  And as always, you can click here check out the For-Purpose Kids products we have that will further engage and inspire your young ones to get involved with giving and volunteering.  Since we’ve kept your attention until now, we’ll even reward you with FREE SHIPPING (in the US only- sorry for those of you moving to France!) for the next few days if you use the code SAVETHEPLANET at check-out.

The time to get involved with our kids is now…so let’s not waste any more time wondering about what we can do, let’s take action and commit to being the powerful examples we want to be for our global citizens of the future.  

For-Purpose Kids- taking small steps today to create (and preserve) the world we want for tomorrow.