Welcome to the Western New York Youth Climate Action Summit! Climate change poses an existential threat to the well-being of societies and ecosystems around the world. While this can often seem overwhelming, individuals have the power to effect real change once they acquire the necessary leadership skills and knowledge. Delivering these attributes to a new generation of young leaders is the goal of this summit.
Over the course of our first two summits in June of 2017 and 2018 we brought together over 300 high school students from across 20+ WNY school districts to Buffalo State College to partake in a full day of climate change education and leadership training. The students were given an aspirational message to take with them into their communities and developed a plan to carry out actual significant change. The feed back we received was overwhelmingly positive, and we are looking to build on our past success, and learn from our shortcomings, and create an even BIGGER event this June!
June 1st 2019 will be the 3rd annual Western New York Youth Climate Action Summit. We will again bring together students, educators and local leaders to study cutting edge climate science, while offering chance to plan effective change in their communities with guided support. All of this will be done in the stunning, new LEEDS certified Science and Math Center of Buffalo State College.
About
Curious what the students will be doing all day? It is truly a PACKED agenda – here are some highlights:
- Basics of Climate Change
- Wind turbine challenge
- Citizen Science
- Building a better solar panel
- Food Systems cycle
- Natures place in our community
- Advocacy training
- Team Action Planning
- Open-space brainstorming
- Keynote speakers
- Writing community-based action plans
- A harbor cruise to bond and network
As you can see, the opportunities for the youth of WNY to network, learn, and gain the tools needed to affect change are offered in abundance at this summit.
