For more than a year, Residents Forward has been developing the first Youth Climate Summit on Long Island, believed to be the second Summit in the entirety of New York State and one of a handful around the world. The Summit will bring 100 Port Washington students together from grades 8-12 to learn, discuss, engage and act to help solve climate change.
“Climate change is one of the biggest issues of our time,” said Executive Director of Residents Forward Mindy Germain. “There are a handful of summits across the country, but this will be the first on Long Island. We feel it is especially important to Port Washington, being a vulnerable inlet on an Island. We are trying to move the conversation among our youth from fear to proactive action. Our goal is to connect these students and empower them to become the climate leaders of tomorrow.”
Through various grants and sponsors, Residents Forward has a full day planned. Group workshops will ideate Climate Action Projects to solve future concerns relevant to the lives of Port Washington residents such as water, waste and food. A Careers and Education workshop will also be offered so students gain insight into the scope of possible career paths available in the new economy they will be entering into.
“Students will leave with knowledge, a climate action project and ongoing guidance and access from experts in the field,” said Germain. “At the end of the day, we hope to have a team on a journey towards realizing a more resilient and beautiful future for our community.”
Workshops throughout the day include “Throw Away Culture: The one-way cycle of most stuff in our society,” “The 3,000 Mile Salad: Taking a fresh look at the food industry,” “Water is Life: The pathway of toxins into our Groundwater and Bay” and “Careers and Education—Jobs That Make A Difference.” After the Summit, student teams will be tasked to take their plans into action by leading the implementation of their Climate Action Projects. They will be assisted throughout the process by Residents Forward and a team of experts.
The keynote speaker for the Youth Climate Summit is Dr. John Byrne, president of the Foundation for Renewable Energy and Environment, and a contributor since 1992 to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. He is director and distinguished professor of energy and climate, the center for energy and environmental policy, University of Delaware. He serves as a visiting scholar at the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, and is a visiting faculty member at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Byrne advises the Seoul Metropolitan Government on its 1 GWp Solar City Seoul Initiative, currently the most ambitious urban solar project in the world. He has published 19 books and over 170 research articles.
“This summit is a fun and powerful vehicle for inspiration, learning, community engagement and youth leadership development,” said Germain.“We are both planting the seeds of practical awareness in our students so they can help shore up Port Washington’s future and introducing the new fields of environmental study and eco industry available to them for their college and career paths.”
One hundred students can apply to participate at the Youth Climate Summit, which can be used as a resume and career builder, at www.pwresidents.org. The application deadline is March 30. The Summit is set for April 28 from 12:30 to 6 p.m. at the Port Washington Public Library.
