Tens of thousands of school students and their wide-ranging supporters from across the nation conducted the first mass school strike for climate action since the emergence of COVID-19.

Arlie Bragg from The Waldorf School and Josie O'Baoill from Armidale Central School were two young students who organised the local event. Both 14-year-olds say they have been 'blessed' with parents who are environmentally and climate-conscious.

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"I've never had to battle with my parents over my beliefs or change their minds; they have always been very supportive of me," said Josie.

Arlie said her dad is a solar installer and designer.

"I've been brought up from a very young age to be conscious of the environment," she said.

" I have always had my opinions on it and wanted to be out there helping."

Josie said she doesn't have a concrete plan and is unsure what she will do when she leaves school, but she enjoys biology and ecology and intends to work in that area.

Arlie is interested in studying law, and pursuing a musical and political career with an environmental focus.

"It is such a serious issue, and something needs to be done about it, so I will definitely stay involved," she said.

Younger people are the future, said Josie, and Generation Z is getting much more climate-conscious.

"As Greta Thunberg said, 'we are having our dreams stolen from us' and that is having a huge impact on children my age," she said.

"To have a future, we have to strike, and we have to be more climate-conscious, and plenty of people can't come because parents won't let them, and we were not allowed to promote the strike at school."

Arlie said young people have power.

"We just have to choose to use it, we are incredibly strong, and we can change the course of the future if we really try," she said. "We can do this, and we will do this until something is done."

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Sophie Ridley from O'Connor Catholic College was also striking and said most of her peers were aware of climate change.

"Because it is such a big issue, I think most people are aware of it," she said.

"I am really into climate justice, and I'd like to get involved in politics, and by being here today, I can work towards that goal."

The group listened to music and speeches in Curtis Park before cleaning up the river area and marching to the mall to chant outside the post office.

Thousands of young people in more than 50 cities and towns across Australia joined this unified effort to demand that the Morrison Government says no to funding gas and coal projects and instead invests in clean, renewable energy.

This mass strike marked the biggest protest for climate action since the emergence of COVID-19.

While most of last year's events were held online owing to COVID-19, there was a small protest outside Adam Marshalls' Armidale office, which Arlie took part in, but this was organised by a different team.

"We organised two webinars last year, but this is our first face-to-face one," Arlie said.

"We plan to keep protesting until the government takes effective action on climate change which will hopefully be very soon."

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