Oregon’s newest kid governor wants the state to tackle climate change

Oregon’s newest kid governor wants to the state to focus on addressing climate change.

That’s the platform on which Rosie Lanenga, a fifth-grader at Portland’s Riverdale Grade School, was elected by her peers from across the state.

“I think it’s a pressing issue,” Lanenga said. “I want Oregon to stay as beautiful as it is right now, and climate change is affecting that, and I want to make sure Oregon is safe.”

Lanenga was sworn in at the Oregon State Capitol on Thursday along with six members of her kid governor cabinet.

In 2017, Oregon became the second state, behind Connecticut, to adopt the Kid Governor program as a way to introduce civic education to fifth-graders. As part of the program, interested fifth-graders can run for office by creating a campaign video.

Oregon’s Secretary of State office received 22 video entries from kid gubernatorial hopefuls across the state. A panel of judges narrowed the nominees to seven candidates. In November, those candidates were voted on by thousands of fifth-graders from nearly 100 classrooms across Oregon.

The top voter getter was named kid governor while the other candidates became cabinet members.

“This bipartisan program provides free toolkits and lesson plans that help celebrate Oregon democracy,” then-Deputy Secretary of State Cheryl Myers stated in an announcement about Lanenga’s election. “Thousands of fifth-graders from across Oregon vote for their kid governor during the election cycle. The future of our state looks promising thanks to these impressive future leaders.”

In her campaign video, Lanenga laid out A.C.T., her three-point plan to address climate change.

“A stands for acting in your home,” she said in an interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive. “Acting in your home could mean just turning off the lights, riding your bike instead of driving your car to places if you can, or it could mean planting a tree in your backyard. It’s the little things that you can do to help our community.”

C stands for holding “class meetings” to discuss ways to reduce your carbon footprint, and T stands for taking time to share that knowledge with others.

Lanenga wants to be a lawyer when she grows up, and she’s also interested in politics.

“I like knowing what’s happening and helping change it for the better,” she said.

Lanenga said she’s looking forward to meeting with Gov. Tina Kotek and other state representatives, as well as her kid cabinet members. She’ll also maintain a blog throughout her year-long kid governor term at or.kidgovernor.org.

— Samantha Swindler covers features for The Oregonian/OregonLive and Here is Oregon. Reach her at sswindler@oregonian.com.

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