TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The Earthlings—a group of Terre Haute youth climate activists—have recently been featured in a Nickelodeon-produced video.
Earlier this year, a Nickelodeon television crew from New York flew into Terre Haute to spend two days filming the video, which highlights youth-led environmental action across the country. The project also involved a partnership with the Terre Haute Children’s Museum.
The video, shot at the recently renovated reThink building, involved hours of interviews, storytelling and interactions with local leaders.
“This was a huge moment, not just for Earthlings, but for Terre Haute. Nickelodeon could have chosen anywhere in the country, and they chose our kids. They saw the work happening here. That says something,” said Dr. Shikha Bhattacharyya, the group’s adult advisor and former Regional Coordinator with Earth Charter Indiana.
The Earthlings were formed in 2020 under the guidance of Bhattacharyya, and since then, they have spent their time organizing community-wide initiatives like the annual Climate March, giving public presentations on climate change and waste reduction, and advocating for sustainability within the Vigo County School Corporation.
The video includes local students Leif Speer, Diarmuid Corcoran, Ayush Bhattacharyya, Helena Browning and Lucy Riehl, Violet Templeton, and the LaBella siblings (Theo, Rosie, and Dorothy).
The Terre Haute Children’s Museum nominated the group for the feature after recognizing their commitment to climate change.
“We’ve got something special here. These young people are learning how to organize, how to speak out, and how to lead. That deserves to be celebrated, and invested in,” Bhattacharyya added.
The video is currently online through Nickelodeon’s platforms and can be viewed here.
