We are very proud to host the 13th Annual Youth Summit on Climate and Sustainablity on May 4! This decade+ relationship is a cornerstone of our spring semester and an exciting way to connect with the youth of Boston/Cambridge and the metropolitan area. This year's theme is Facing Waste.
9:00am - 10:00am: Registration/Check In
10:00am - 11:00am: Welcome, Keynote Speaker: Dr. Ellis Jones, author, Better World Shopping Guide
11:00am - 12:00pm: Workshops (Full Listing Below)
12:00pm - 1:30pm: Lunch/Exhibitors/Activities
1:30pm - 3:00pm: Networking, Next Steps, & Door Prizes!
WORKSHOPS
Climate Change & Our Community: Protecting the Most Vulnerable - CREW, Aaron Troncoso: Come learn from Communities Responding to Extreme Weather (CREW) about the wide-ranging impacts of climate change on communities around greater Boston, and about how you can get prepared and help your neighbors. Find out how climate change is projected to impact flooding in Boston. Learn about the city's water management system, and how you can take care of storm drains in your community to help the city deal with flooding.
Inspire Communities to Take Action - New England Aquarium, ClimaTeens: Come join New England Aquarium’s ClimaTeens for a discussion about how to use education and art as tools to communicate about climate change. Participate in interactive activities that focus on community level solutions. Join us in celebrating the debut of our song, “Roots”, to hear our hope for the future of our planet.
Food Systems and Food Waste - Daily Table, Bree Gaddy: Join Daily Table to learn about food systems and food waste in grocery stores. Discover tips and tricks for saving money on your groceries by reducing food waste in your home. Find out why healthy affordable food and reducing food waste are important issues for sustainable communities.
Cutting Atmospheric Waste with a Just, Equitable Carbon Price - Our Climate, Eben Bein: Ready to help Massachusetts cut climate pollution? Join Our Climate's New England Field Coordinator Eben Bein and his student fellows to learn how to fight for a price on carbon. We will explore how youth activists are championing carbon-pricing policy across the country and here at home, and how we can help. Learn how to talk effectively with your representatives, built epic climate art, and other ways to join the campaign.
THAT will Compost? - City Compost, Adam Jankauskas: Learn about what you can compost. Find out why you should! Learn how you can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect the environment, and increase access to fresh food. Discover new fruits and vegetables you have never heard of such as salsify!
Pursuing A Refuse, Reduce, Reuse Lifestyle - Greenovate Boston, Peyton Jones: The Greenovate workshop will focus on activities for finding the maximum utility or value for our “stuff” before it goes to a landfill or recycling bin. Integrated within activities focused around a refuse, reduce, and reuse lifestyle will be information about how municipalities deal with constituent waste, what Boston specifically is doing to become a more sustainable city.
Intersectional Climate Justice Movement" What is it? Why do we need it? How do we build it? - 350 Massachusetts for a Better Future, Vignesh Ramachandranm: Take climate action in solidarity with frontline communities, workers, and people of color! Learn why climate organizations like 350 Mass are working with economic justice groups and others to fight for the Fair Share Amendment, which would tax millionaires to fund education and transportation, and how racial and economic justice are essential to our response to climate change.
Film A Public Service Announcement - Joe Gels & Dustin Brownell: Workshop participants will be given a quick lesson from the pros, along with a prop, some facts about waste, and support in filming a 30 second public service announcement (PSA) about climate change and sustainability. Find out how to get your message across on film! PSAs will be posted on the YouthCAN website.
Ending the Global Water Crisis - Thirst Project, Kaitlin Kogut: Join the growing movement of young people working to end the global water crisis! Learn about the dangers of contaminated water and the struggles people around the world face every day seeking access to clean water. Find out what you can do to help!
Addressing Myths and Dumb Problems: Zero Waste & Food Waste - Greening Forward, Argenis Herrera: It’s okay to contribute waste, but DON’T throw away those leftovers! Join Greening Forward in tackling where the movement goes wrong and what we could do better in creating a more sustainable planet. Learn about zero waste, world hunger, and how you can do your part.
People Rise Up, Powers Come Down: Understanding Climate Change & Building a Youth-Led Movement - Sunrise Boston - Rosie McInnes, Adam Crellin-Sazama, Nicole Mertiri: Members of Sunrise Movement Boston and YouthCAN will share their wisdom around understanding the problem (climate change), the solution, and how we will get there. Participants will learn about Sunrise Movement's strategy and plan for the next few years, get training in listening and grounding tools to build strong movements, and talk about how to develop, support and back youth leadership in the climate movement.
