On March 29, Residents Forward hosted the fourth annual Youth Climate Summit at the Port Washington Public Library. The Youth Climate Summit is a free, full-day event that gives 100 students in grades 8-12 the opportunity to hear from environmental leaders, partake in workshops, and plan their own Climate Action Projects.
Residents Forward is a local non-profit organization that imagines and advances the critical projects that make Port Washington beautiful. The non-profit is rooted in the principle that the environment and people’s health and well-being are extremely important.
The Youth Climate Summit (YCS) is the result of seven months of planning and research by the YCS Planning Committee led by Weber Middle School science teacher Ms. Kelsey Heyne. Post-summit, the students embark on implementing their Climate Action Projects (CAPS), which positively impact the community.
“I found the summit to be a really good experience, and I learned a lot about our environment. I personally took the Circular Fashion and Career workshops, and they taught me a lot,” said sophomore Siena McGuffin.
At the event, this year’s topics included the effect of litter on our climate, conserving drinking water, fast fashion’s environmental impact, and climate advocacy.
The day began with an overview of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, presented by Schreiber sophomores Sofia Leder and Brady Bailly. Students then participated in two interactive workshops of their choice. Other students involved in the summit include sophomores Sam Adler, Eve Feldmen, Izzy Falco, and freshman Chase Beckenstein and Sunny Friedman.
“The event went great and I was proud to give the opening speech to start the summit along with Brady Baily. I think the attending students learned a lot about the climate and the event was a big success,” said sophomore Sofia Leder.
Workshops and panelists led discussions on sustainability issues such as sustainable fashion, drinking water, and waste reduction. During the “Circular Fashion” panel, students learned about replacing “linear” fashion models with “circular” ones to reduce waste. According to the Residents Forward website, the linear fashion model promotes mass production and consumption of clothing made from fossil fuel based materials that are not designed to be reused or recycled.
During the “WaterVision” workshop, challenges in local drinking water such as pollution and overuse were discussed. The panelists brainstormed solutions such as conservation strategies, native planting, and sustainable landscaping.
The third workshop, “Innovations in Waste Reduction: Less Waste, More Impact,” discussed where waste goes after leaving the curbside, food and residential waste management innovations, and how to reduce personal waste.
A final workshop offered insight into majors and careers in sustainability, where speakers from Columbia University and Farmingdale State College connected the attendees’ goals with potential future jobs and colleges.
“During this year’s Youth Climate Summit, I helped organize the panel “Innovations in Waste” and attended the panel “Majors and Careers.” I learned a lot and enjoyed spending my day there,” said sophomore and climate organizer Brady Baily
Projects launched from previous Youth Climate Summits include “The Climate Awareness Garden at Schreiber High School, where students grew a “square foot” vegetable garden and donated the food, and “The Bus if For US,” which provided ten free public bus rides for students during Earth Month, in April.
The Youth Climate Summit empowers Port Washington students to build a strong foundation in sustainability and climate solutions, one that will support their journey beyond high school, and possibly into their careers.