For updates on voting in the US, check out HRW's US Democracy work
Voting and Human Rights
According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 21, voting is a human right. The United Nations General Assembly recently passed a resolution indicating that a healthy environment is also a human right. Now more than ever, we must vote with the future of our planet in mind. This toolkit provides resources for education and active participation in local, state, and federal elections with a focus on fighting climate change. Learn how to exercise, protect, and educate about these rights.
Why Vote For The Planet?
When we vote for the planet, we are voting for elected officials who shape the climate and sustainability policies of our schools, communities and businesses. Each vote is a vote for climate justice that protects future generations and those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Voters agree that in order to see systemic change locally and globally, climate justice must be addressed. In the United States:
- Communities of color are disproportionately affected by environmental hazards. People of color are more likely to die of environmental causes, and make up more than half of the population living near hazardous waste.
- Historically discriminatory housing, education, employment, and healthcare policies have all increased the inequalities that place communities of color at higher risk of dangerous climate impacts.
Click on each button to jump to that section
The best way to save the planet isn’t necessarily recycling… If you want to do one thing about climate change: Vote.
If you’re a kid and you can’t vote yet, make sure your parents vote.
Educational Resources
Advocacy Goals: Click Each Image to Get Started
Voting Pledges and Candidate Outreach
Mock Elections
In a mock election, high school students get to experience voting using a simplified ballot after receiving background information on the issues. This year, STF’s mock elections are focused on climate policies through the lens of human rights. Invite teachers to bring their students to your mock election where they will hear a short presentation about voting for planet, enter voting booths to cast their ballots, and take action by signing voter pledges and pre-registering to vote.
Not Eligible To Vote?
Here are some other ways you can participate:
- Pre-Register to Vote at 16
- Talk to friends and family about voting
- Sign up to be a poll worker in California
- Sign up to be a Student Election Worker
- Research candidates’ positions on climate issues
- Prepare for conversations with teachers and administrators to get events planned on campus
- Read about “A Simple Way You, Alone, Can Increase US Voter Turnout”
Educator's Portal - Lesson Plans
For educators interested in teaching students about their human right to vote, please explore the resources below. If you’re looking for climate education resources, visit our library here!
How to Stay Nonpartisan
This article gives strategies and ideas for educators who want to teach the election without showing favor to one side or another. Linking to numerous lesson plans and resources, Learning For Justice offers teachers a great launching point on this page!
Subjects: English Language Arts, Social Sciences
Grades: 9-10
Voting Voices Classroom
This curated collection features our best resources for civics education with a focus on elections and voting. The collection includes posters for students of all ages, along with videos, lessons, texts and student tasks for K-8 classrooms as well.
Subjects: English Language Arts, Social Sciences
Grades: K-12
Democracy Class
Democracy Class is a free, nonpartisan curriculum that educates high school students about the importance and history of voting and pre-registers and registers them to vote. Educators will have access to additional lesson plans on numerous topics.
Subjects: English Language Arts, Social Sciences
Grades: 9-12
Digital Literacy
The Learning for Justice Digital Literacy Framework offers seven key areas to support students in digital and civic literacy skills. Before we can teach students to become good citizens of the web, we need to teach them how it works and how it can mislead users.
Subjects: English Language Arts, Social Studies
Grades: 9-12
Contact the STF Team if you would like additional educational resources.
Disclaimer: Anyone using these materials or participating in advocacy associated with this action plan should discuss this toolkit with your parent or guardian.
Photo credits: Jenna Wilusz (top image), Illustration by George Wylesol (phone illustration), Johnson Publishing Co. (Freedom Summer), National Council of Nonprofits (How to Stay Nonpartisan), Learning for Justice (Voting Voices Classroom), FangXiaNuo/Shutterstock (Democracy Classroom), Getty Images (Digital Literacy)
For the most current information and resources on voting in the US, check out HRW's US Democracy work.
This toolkit will not be updated after Spring 2026.
Vote for the Planet Toolkit
Voting and Human Rights
According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 21, voting is a human right. The United Nations General Assembly recently passed a resolution indicating that a healthy environment is also a human right. Now more than ever, we must vote with the future of our planet in mind. This toolkit provides resources for education and active participation in local, state, and federal elections with a focus on fighting climate change. Learn how to exercise, protect, and educate about these rights.
Why Vote For The Planet?
When we vote for the planet, we are voting for elected officials who shape the climate and sustainability policies of our schools, communities and businesses. Each vote is a vote for climate justice that protects future generations and those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Voters agree that in order to see systemic change locally and globally, climate justice must be addressed. In the United States:
- Communities of color are disproportionately affected by environmental hazards. People of color are more likely to die of environmental causes, and make up more than half of the population living near hazardous waste.
- Historically discriminatory housing, education, employment, and healthcare policies have all increased the inequalities that place communities of color at higher risk of dangerous climate impacts.
Click on each tab for information and resources:
Advocacy Goals: How Can You Make a Difference?
Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10 — the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the UDHR. As part of our “Declaring Our Human Rights” theme, STFers will educate and engage their campus community in advocacy around human rights, as well as host an event celebrating the UDHR around December 10, 2023.
Check out the below resources and STF’s Human Rights Day toolkit for action ideas.
Are We Learning About Human Rights? Survey
Survey your classmates to understand how much your community knows and cares about human rights. Consider partnering with teachers or interviewing classmates at a lunch event. You can also do a video interview with survey questions to more easily share the results with your school decision makers.
Know Your Human Rights Tent Event
Set up a tent event with up to four human rights-related themes, including an introduction to human rights. Use STF’s Tent Event Resources for instructions on how to set up a tent event, a planning checklist and to help you think through which themes you want feature to get your whole school advocating for human rights.
Develop a Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities
Work with classmates, teachers and administrators to develop a Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities rooted in human rights. See an example that students from Palisades Charter HS created here. Talk to the STF Team about how to get started!
Host a Film Screening of “A Path to Dignity: The Power of Human Rights Education”
A Path to Dignity: The Power of Human Rights Education presents three stories illustrating the impact of human rights education on school children (India), law enforcement agencies (Australia) and women victims of violence (Turkey). Contact the STF Team to learn more about this opportunity.
Take Action: If You Only Have...
60 seconds
- Bookmark this toolkit for quick access
- Create google alerts for “UDHR” and “human rights”
5 minutes
- Read this Illustrated Version of the UDHR
- Read this glossary of important UDHR vocabulary
- Watch this video to understand the importance of learning about human rights
- Create your pitch for why we should speak up for human rights
30 minutes
- Watch and share Human Rights Watch’s award winning Human Rights 101 videos
- Browse the Human Rights Watch website to learn about current human rights issues our researchers are investigating
- Fill out this questionnaire to take the “human rights temperature” of your school
Educator's Portal - Lesson Plans
For educators interested in teaching students about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), please explore the resources below.
Introducing Human Rights
This TedEd lesson explores the subtleties of human rights. This resource includes a series of questions: what exactly are the basic human rights? Who gets to pick them? Who enforces them—and how?
Subjects: Social Studies, English Language Arts, Literacy
Grades: 9-10
Upholding Our Rights
In this lesson, students familiarize themselves with the UDHR. Students will reflect on how the enforcement of the UDHR can resolve current issues, continue human rights being upheld, as well as end human rights violations.
Subjects: English Language Arts, Science, Social Sciences
Grades: 9-12
The World as it Could Be
This collection of six lessons from The World as It Could Be program is an integration of creative arts and human rights education. It focuses on the UDHR’s connection, to personal lives, community, and global issues.
Subject: Social Studies, English Language Arts, Literacy
Grades: 9-12
“A Path to Dignity” Film
A Path to Dignity: The Power of Human Rights Education presents three stories illustrating the impact of human rights education on school children (India), law enforcement agencies (Australia) and women victims of violence (Turkey).
Subject: Social Studies, English Language Arts
Grades: 9-12