Month: February 2021

Ashna Swaroop, Middle School, Millburn, New Jersey.

Dvita Bhattacharya, Middle School, Millburn, New Jersey.

Today brought about the end of our week-long Climate Summit. It has been a truly amazing five days, and our session today was a fitting end to this experience. The theme for Day 5 was Climate Action. We asked ourselves, “How can we use what we have learned to make a difference?” and our inspiring speakers helped us answer this very question.

Our first event for today was a panel with several college students. They helped us understand how we could incorporate sustainable development into our high school and college careers, as well as our everyday lives. Our panelists included Sophia Assab (a student at Columbia university studying Economics and Sustainable Development), Charlotte Munson (studying Sustainable Development and Business management at Columbia), Jeremy Zimmerman (a senior in the dual degree program between Sciences Po and Columbia University, studying Political Humanities and Sustainable Development), David Yang (a sophomore at Columbia, planning on double majoring in Computer Science and Sustainable Development), and Isadora Muszkat (in the Dual Degree Program between Tel Aviv University and Columbia, pursuing a degree in Philosophy and another in Sustainable Development).

Each of our panelists outlined their own unique journeys to the study of sustainable development and the environment. Assab, for example, initially planned to study human rights, but felt the need to do more for the earth and the life on it; Munson used to be a professional ballet dancer until she ruptured her ankle at 22 and was forced to give it up. She decided to go back to school and found her passion for sustainability. Our panelists’ diverse, varying paths to this field of study helped highlight how all-encompassing the topic of sustainable development truly is. Somehow or the other, sustainable development is relevant to every subject and area of learning, a lesson all of our speakers touched upon. While each had different ideas to share with us, the common theme through their stories was how sustainability factored into each of their career paths. Munson gave examples of sustainable fashion and environmental engineering. At first glance, neither fashion nor engineering seems to have much to do with the environment. Yet there is always a way to combine sustainability and whatever your passion is. This only serves to once again prove just how relevant and important climate change and the environment are in our world today, as well as what a pressing issue they pose.

Our panelists also spoke about their work to help others and our planet. Yang and Zimmerman, for example, are part of an organization called Engineers without Border, and work to incorporate their passions for computer science and law into the work they do. Muszkat is helping develop activity kits for children in public schools to help them learn about sustainability. Munson worked on a project in India, where she tested the fluoride content in groundwater. And Assab is a part of a Harvard Think Tank working on a bill for environmental change that will be proposed to Congress. Each of these students has done inspiring work to help change the way things are and to make the world a slightly better place. Their determination and talent is an example of what we should work to live up to.

The last question our panelists answered was one that is of utmost importance, especially considering how unfair and dismal our world can seem today. The question we asked was “How do you stay hopeful when things look so bleak?”. Their responses were both insightful and powerful. Munson said that her source of hope lies in humanity’s ability to adapt and respond to challenges. She used the current COVID 19 pandemic as her example. If we, as a country, managed to completely change our lifestyles by quarantining and social distancing, there is at least some hope that we will be able to take the steps necessary to stop climate change. Zimmerman also pointed out how many young people are motivated to stop this issue even if they come from families who don’t believe in climate change. This is a topic that is too often politicized – and the younger generations seem to be able to cut through the din surrounding it and get to the core of the matter. The potential they hold is enough to give us hope even when it seems as though nothing is happening. And thus our panel came to an end, leaving us as the audience with many new ideas to think about and a renewed belief in our ability to overcome climate change.

Next, we met Jeneda and Clayson Benally, a powerhouse brother and sister duo who bring awareness to their culture through punk-rock music. They are part of the Navajo tribe, and started to sing and raise awareness when they realized that their tribe was dying out because of many terrible reasons and the history was being underrepresented. In Navajo traditions, singing and dancing are important in many things, even healing ceremonies. When they were fighting relocation from the place where their tribes have been for generations, that was then when they found their voice. As said by Mr. Benally, “Music, art, activism and advocacy are all intertwined”. As part of the Navajo tribe, they grew up learning to respect the Earth. Nothing was wasted. Growing up like this gave them an idea of how what happens to the Earth, happens to us.

Being asked to move did a number of things to Mr. and Ms. Benally. They had to move because there was coal where they lived, and the government wanted to use it. Even before this, their entire lives have been always sought out to justice and awareness. The coal that was in their backyard was being used in big cities, like Los Angeles, and yet they didn’t even have water and electricity. All of this was being taken away from them. Mr. Benally remembered when he was listening to his grandmother when she said that coal was the liver of the Earth, and forests were the hair. This might not appeal to the officials who wanted to take the coal, but it made sense. Your liver acts as a filter in your body, and the coal did that to water. Beneath all of that coal was an aquifer with pristine, naturally filtered water! This only shows how everything on the Earth is interconnected.

The Benallys also talked about what inspired them to write their music. As mentioned before, they use traditional songs and combine them with hopeful messages about the future. By the way, the traditional songs they use are social songs, not ceremonial songs, which are not to be shared. They were inspired by all the hippies who moved to the west coast and started singing rock music. Blues, folk, and rock n roll really motivated them to sing. Growing up, they were told that they could either be traditional and modern. Now, they identify as traditional, but they also have modern tools to show to others that “culture is cool”, and diversity is important.

Tradition was very important to the Benallys. As indegenious people, Ms. Benally says, they have lived with the Earth for so long, and they know to respect it. “Growing up with the foundation of understanding who I was guided the vision of who I am today”, she adds. Growing up, Mr. Benally endured racism. Once, he was burned by bullies in the locker room, just because of his culture. He was an outcast to his school, and playing punk rock was a place where outcasts banded. They began to play punk rock because it was a place where you could be you. In other words, it was liberating to them, and having that space growing up was so important.

In this summit, we have learned that COVID has done many good things for people. But for the Navajo, COVID has not been nearly as helpful. They’re struggling against COVID, mining, and lack of infrastructure all at the same time. The pandemic has shed light on the fact that they are in need of the basic infrastructure to support their people. And on top of that, many people in their tribe don’t have access to hot water or the internet, and kids have to drive to places with internet (sometimes more than an hour away). On the bright side, they do have community, culture, and the ability to live off of the land like their ancestors did, but that much is not going to cut it.

As a final message for kids, Ms. Benally said that they can make a difference and they should always remember that they should dream big and know what is in their head can be a possibility. Know that it’s okay to fail, because you get to learn from your mistakes. Know that you are not alone in making a difference and that you are loved. And most of all, know that you are the future, and the very breath of your ancestors’ resilience. Together, we are a global community and we want you to succeed. Know that people will be there for you every step of the way.

 

And with that positive note, the amazing, inspirational, and motivating Climate Education Youth Summit ended.

 

 

Ashna Swaroop, Middle School, Millburn, New Jersey

Dvita Bhattacharya, Middle School, Millburn, New Jersey

Day 4 of the Climate Education Youth Summit was refreshing and exciting, as the topic was Communication and Arts for Climate Change. We met 3 groups of people, and learned different things from each. Our speakers from the first event were Mr. Andrew Revkin, Mr. Joaquim Goes, and Ms. Valerie J Amor. Let’s learn about each of them, and how they came to be such big figures in Art for Climate Change.

Our first panelist is definitely gifted in his area. Mr. Revkin is a top environmental journalist, and has reported from places such as the White House, the Amazon, and even the North Pole! He has reported for well-known magazines such as National Geographic, and because of his work, he won a high award for science journalism. He even has a film based off of his work, The Burning Season.

Mr. Revkin explained how the pandemic actually did a number of good things for the environment .Availability and ease of not having to travel resulted in less fuel being burnt and less carbon emissions in the air. Levels of pollutants have gone down thanks to the pandemic. It has shown us that we can adapt, make sacrifices and save the planet, all which have become far more reachable than we thought.

Our next panelist, Mr. Goes, is one of a kind. Before he became a mentor to undergraduates, graduates, and postdoctoral students, he studied in Goa, and universities in major cities, such as Japan and Bombay. He researches topics such as impacts from the climate in the oceans, and microplastics in marine ecosystems. He mentors students from his lab at Columbia University (where he works in the Earth institute), and sometimes even from the sea!

Mr. Goes believes that kids should be the driving force to help stop the climate crisis because they will be the ones inheriting the planet. When working with kids, he tries to let them know what’s at stake so that they are motivated to make a difference. In Goa, where he lived, there were many projects that were environmentally bad. The youth in Goa realized what was going on and how it would hurt the planet, and so they stepped in and stopped it from happening. This only shows how strong kids are, and how much change they can make.

Last, but definitely not least is Ms. Valerie J Amor. She is the co-founder for Growing Broward, which is an organization that supports local food systems. She is also the founder of Drawing Conclusions LLC, where they focus on sustainable design. On top of that, she is also the designer of SCALe, which is an award winning educational design charette. She believes that art is the best way for people to open up and talk about climate change. In fact, her art workshops have been so interesting that one of her students was so immersed that he stayed past dinner time just to work on his project!

Being such a qualified person has to have some hardships though. Mainly, the people she worked with (mostly children), were not qualified to join Summits and other official meetings. Ms. Amor told the moderators that letting kids not come was just dismissing someone by their looks. To empower the children, she says that what gets them to talk is making a strong partnership between herself and them. Climate change will affect kids the most, and it is important to include them in these important discussions.

Speaking of kids, the next event was all about students. Behold the NJ Student Climate Challenge, led by Dr. Andrea Rewes from Rider University, and Heather McCall, director of Sustainable Jersey for schools! The Climate Challenge’s purpose is to show kids what they can do to make a difference in the climate crisis. Due to COVID, geographically, it is restricted to a few districts. But from 2021-2022, Dr. Rewes and Ms. McCall hope to expand their challenge statewide! Middle school and high schools can enroll if they live in the Atlantic City Electrics service area. Think Cape May, Gloucester, and Burlington counties. Student session topics include Climate Justice, Renewable Energy Options, Energy Efficiency At Home, Knowing Your Food, Knowing your Environment, and tons more! For teachers, they provide professional development sessions with topics like Integrating Climate Across Classrooms and Climate Science Primer for Educators. The Climate Challenge has something for everyone!

Sometimes, kids feel like they can’t make a difference. The problem seems too big, and they seem too small. But there are lots of things you can do in your school to make it green. Things like finding your school’s carbon footprint, conducting a waste audit, and anti-idling enforcement have saved schools up to $400,000! You could also Green Your School! use an already-there event like a dance show and make the costume, and sets from reused materials. You could also theme the event with something to do with the climate crisis. What a unique way to bring attention to what matters most! In all, the NJ Student Climate Challenge is something that every school should have, so if yours is eligible, then sign up today.

Moving on to our third and final event, a presentation titled “Creation Subverts Destruction: Artivism in Climate Advocacy.” Our teen facilitators were Edie Fine and Virgile-Mihn Perrier. They are representatives of the Extinction Rebellion Youth NYC, a group of youth who use nonviolent actions to advocate for climate justice. They are an art based group, whether it is a dance routine or a trashion show (fashion creatively made from reused items). A few sentences before, you probably read the word artivism and wondered what it was. In a nutshell, artivism is a combination of activism and art, when the art aspect is used to make a difference. An example of artivism is making a dance routine based on social justice. Or making poetry about the climate crisis. Using your medium of art (music, painting, poetry) to make a change is just what the Extinction Rebellion Youth NYC is doing.

Why artivism, though? Art helps us get in touch with the present state of the world, and defies the stereotypes of learning from books and worksheets, and uses creative mediums instead. As always, art helps you express yourself, something that might not happen if you are reading from a textbook. Art helps us get in touch with the present state of the world

Goes back the stereotypes of learning from books, and uses creative mediums. Extinction Rebellion Youth welcomes everyone and every part of everyone. Art is a tactic that can accomplish making a change because it is a stirrer. For example, one of their artivism projects was to make clothes from reused materials, like plastic bags. They did this on a day in New York Fashion week, and they caused quite a commotion. Photographers thought that they were modeling designs for the real fashion week! Getting that kind of publicity felt so good to the models and designers, because everyone was taking them seriously. If you like being creative and making a change then go to https://www.xrebellion.nyc/ for more information on this inspiring group.

Today was a motivational day for many at the Summit, including me. We hope you join tomorrow’s session: Action Planning Day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dvita Bhattacharya, Millburn Middle School, NJ

Asha Swaroop, Millburn Middle School, NJ

In Day 3 of the Climate Summit, we explored education and how it relates to climate action. We got to hear from a group of inspiring educators and students who shared how they have made an impact in the fight against climate change. Their stories perfectly illustrate the dedication and passion we should all strive to replicate.

First, we had a discussion panel with three teachers to understand their perspective on education for climate change. Our first panelist was Shakira Provasoli, a science and hydroponics teacher at PS 333 in Manhattan. Ms. Provasoli spoke about the importance of hands-on learning and engagement. In order to truly learn and absorb information, students have to go beyond memorization and be able to apply their knowledge in the real world. Actually ‘doing’ science helps students visualize themselves as scientists. She highlighted the need to expose children to the sciences and the concept of sustainable development from an early age.

Our next panelist was Becky Higgins, a science educator and Johns Hopkins University Science Content Specialist from Connecticut. Ms. Higgins discussed her program “Speak with a Scientist”. The program focuses on having actual scientists come into classrooms to engage with students. This interaction helps the students feel in touch with science, bringing textbook concepts and ideas to life. Ms. Higgins also spoke about how she helps her students take initiative and stand for their beliefs. For example, when her students were concerned about fracking waste being dumped in their neighbourhoods, Ms. Higgins encouraged them to write letters to their mayor regarding the issue. Through her support and help, she shows her dedication to her students and to learning.

Next, we got to meet Cassie Xu, an Associate Director of Non-Degree Education & Outreach Programs at the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Ms. Xu told us about the importance of passion and standing for your opinion. She stressed how important it is to take initiative and ‘take the leap’ with your ideas. Through her teaching career, she has helped students make a difference in issues that they care about and continues to do so today.

Our last panelist was William Bertolotti, a high school teacher at Plainedge High School in New York. Like Ms. Xu, he spoke about the importance of passion and getting involved. His message to students today was to always have the spirit to fight and focus on how we can make the world a little bit better. We don’t have to make huge changes at the beginning – as he said, we can start by doing something simple. Emailing a teacher, finding a way to get engaged, for example. Taking baby steps will help us move onto bigger and bigger ones once the time comes. The common thread between all the panelists’ responses was the message that change is always possible. No matter how insignificant our contributions may feel, we can always make a difference in the outcome. And through their support and dedication to their students, all of our panelists have shown us how much of a difference education can make in the climate crisis.

Next, we spoke to Gabriela Mendosa, Sara Poon, and Elena Rubenstein, three high school girls. They are the creators of the Climate Education Resources Toolkit. The main idea behind the creation of this toolkit was to provide useful, vetted resources to help students and teachers become more aware of climate change. The toolkit is not finished yet, but they plan to publish it on a website by Earth Day 2021. Gabriela, Elena, and Sara’s contribution once again circles around the theme of how education can help us all fight climate change. Their determination to not only inform themselves but also inform others is inspiring and shows us all that we can make change no matter how young or old we are.

Our last event for the day was a discussion panel with a group of students who have done climate-change-based research. First, we spoke with Vidya Bindal, a seventh grader from Millburn Middle School, about her Yard Cardboard Collection Analysis. Through a series of carefully chosen statistics and figures, Vidya showed us how much waste we produce in Millburn as a town. Her comparisons helped put into perspective the excessiveness of our consumption. Vidya continued to propose a plan outlining which aspects of our waste we should work to cut down first, as well as how to approach doing so. Her work in this area is incredibly impressive, especially considering her youth.

Lastly, we heard from the Readington Middle School Research Team about their own research and analysis. The team was composed of Eddie Lou, Bronwyn Downey, Tatiana Hinka, Riya Gupta, Cristopher Serrao, Olivia Davis and Callum Suggitt, all current students or alumni of Readington Middle School. They shared some of the amazing projects they have worked on. First, they worked to solve the issue of food insecurity by investigating sustainable hyperlocal food production. Through their research, they came up with FIG – an indoor vertical garden. It uses every drop of water to the max, minimizing waste. The garden is fully automated and uses sensors to detect when the soil is too dry and needs to be watered. They are now working to make this system more regenerative and environment-friendly. Their work is truly impressive and shows how even middle and high school students can use science to solve real-world issues. They also found new ways to help virtual learning be more engaging during the coronavirus pandemic. The Readington Research also spoke about the importance of acting now and how we shouldn’t leave the issue of climate change to future generations. Through their own impressive research, they have shown that they are already taking matters into their own hands – and we should all aspire to follow in their footsteps.

All in all, today’s session was filled with amazing people and stories from across states. We got to hear students and teachers talk about their efforts to fight climate change both inside and outside of the classroom. As the Climate Summit continues, we’re sure to hear from even more exciting and inspiring individuals.

 

 

By Ashna Swaroop, Millburn Middle School, NJ

Dvita Bhattacharya, Millburn Middle School, NJ

Today’s session was all about Education for Sustainable Development, Curriculum Advocacy, Design and Implementation. Aalok Bhatt, a junior at Millburn High School in New Jersey led this session. Aalok is passionate about the environment, keeps up with current events, and hopes to make a difference to his community. The topic that was covered today was something that not many people think of on a day to day basis. Thankfully, we had the experts to help us understand the broad idea of Education for Sustainability.

Those experts, our panelists, consist of Ms. Jaimie Cloud, head of the Cloud Institute of Sustainable Education and Mr. Marc Rogoff, who was once a consultant to NASA and the National Wildlife Federation, and many other note-worthy organizations. Joining them was Mr. Michael Heinz, who works as the Science Coordinator for the NJ Department of Education. All of these remarkable people are working to include sustainability in the education system. Along the way, there have been problems and hardships that they had to overcome. And their journey isn’t over yet! Let’s see where they are now on the road to global education for sustainable development (ESD).

Ms. Cloud, who also works internationally in places such as Qatar, is working on developing benchmarks with school systems about green learning. Mr. Heinz has helped pave the path for New Jersey in becoming the first state to introduce sustainable education in school curriculum. Mr. Rogoff is working on establishing statewide climate change resilience. Finding an appropriate sustainable education curriculum is the challenge according to him. In addition, all three panelists made remarks about teachers not wanting to “add on” to the curriculum they already have. “Adding on” is not the right term for it. ESD needs to be integrated into the school’s existing curriculum. It should be included in other subjects, such as Math and Social Studies.

This problem of integrating ESD was also touched upon by Ms. Cloud. She referred to an example of how educators teach writing. Kids don’t learn how to make longer and longer sentences, she explained. They learn how to make their sentences with richer vocabulary and more meaning. That is how ESD should be assimilated. Making the existing curriculum richer, not longer. The teachers are already doing an astounding amount of work, and they don’t need more things to teach. ESD should benefit teachers, Mr. Rogoff said. After all, kids are the future. Teaching them about sustainability will help them understand their impact on the future.

Speaking about kids and the future, the panelists also had some great advice for youth who want to make an impact on the environment. Advice like that making a change can be hard to balance with other commitments, so it is important to not burn yourself out. Also, when you’re talking to someone with different views, avoid arguing, and instead find common ground that you can both agree on. This could be anything from the quality of food, to air pollution’s effects on people. Look at the things you eat, wear and use. See how you can improve that. Start small, think of the impact on small things. If it affects money and time, you’re going to have to think more about it. Make small steps, little changes. All it takes is a small effort to start the journey to making something great happen. Remember, it’s not only adults who can make a difference. The youth can too!

In our next session, we met 3 inspiring teenagers who prove that kids can make just as much of a positive impact on the climate as adults. Let’s see how they are making an impact on the world. Our teen panelists, speaking about Community Organizing Through Storytelling, were Amina Castronovo, Faiza Azam, and Jade Lozada. Amina is working on advocating for climate justice education, on a statewide and citywide level. Faiza is currently behind Ourclimate’s social media accounts. Through that forum, she is making sure people know how to volunteer and get involved with Ourclimate. She was inspired by living in Bangladesh, where the economy was being drastically affected by climate change. Jade was inspired to join organizations like TREEage, because of a poem contest she entered. The theme for the contest was climate change, and Jade wrote a poem about it. Afterwards, she got hooked into learning more about the environment.

Did you know that climate change affects other things besides the environment? In fact, agriculture is impacted greatly by climate change. For example, in India, millions of farmers are protesting, and even locally in California, the wildfires were brought by global warming. To stand up against this and make your voice heard, you could start at your very own school. Get a group of your peers who are interested in the club you want to create, and a teacher that is willing to help. Each public school in NYC is required to have a sustainability coordinator. Have a conversation with them and come up with a virtual event or a meeting that can take place to start off your movement in school. From there, you can talk to the city government, who can put pressure on the state government. Always hold people accountable so that they get the job done, says Amina. Remember that as youth, we know more than we think we do.

All three panelists mention how women are the main representatives in meetings about the climate crisis. There are a lot of females of color and people from the LGBTQ community. There are rarely any men, though. While it is empowering that they are mostly made up by women, they still need everyone to join. The feeling of empowerment was gone when the VSCO girl trend started up . Faiza recalls that she was really sad that it happened, and she was glad to have it end, because caring for the Earth should not be shameful. Instead it should be a passion that shouldn’t seem like work because you love it so much, like the panelists we met today. We hope they inspire you to go out and make a difference for the world. As Amina said, the sceptists say that we can’t change anything. Maybe we can’t, but we have to try. Believing in yourself is what is going to get us through.

Personally, these two days have been very inspiring, and I can’t wait to learn more in the coming workshops.

 

 

Updated: Feb 10, 2021

By

Dvita Bhattacharya, Millburn Middle School, New Jersey

Ashna Swaroop, Millburn Middle School, New Jersey

Day 1 of the Climate Education Youth Summit went off with a bang! The theme for today was “Why Climate Action Through Education?”. To help answer this question, we got to hear from a group of amazing change makers and climate activists who are working to help solve the issue of climate change. Their inspiring stories and insightful messages highlighted the importance of this issue and the need for us all to do our part.

To start off the session, First Lady Tammy Murphy of New Jersey spoke about her efforts to solve climate change through education. She proposed introducing elements of climate change education into the school curriculum in 2019. After advocating for this change with the Standards Review Committee, climate change is now a part of the NJ curriculum, and will be going into effect in schools by September 2021. Mrs. Murphy’s work perfectly exemplifies the main point of today’s session: how education can help solve the climate crisis. Our world is slowly and fortunately shifting more towards clean energy(even though there’s still a long way to go). As Mrs. Murphy put it, teaching children about climate change helps prepare them to solve the great issues in our world and gives them the skills to thrive in a world that is more green. Her work proves to us all that education is one of the most important and impactful tools that we have.

Following up that speech, Professor Jeffrey Sachs joined us for a discussion panel facilitated by several young highschoolers and middle schoolers. He is a senior UN advisor, and has done amazing work to battle climate change. Professor Sachs spoke about the work that needs to be done in regards to this issue and addressed some important questions. He compared the fight against climate change to the famous “Moonshot” speech. In 1962, John F. Kennedy set a goal for the USA as a whole: landing a man on the moon. Today, our goal needs to be to decarbonize and turn to clean energy. Professor Sachs stressed that we, as a country, should aim to cut down on our fossil fuel consumption and move towards greener methods. He also answered an important question about climate change and the economy. In our efforts to reduce fossil fuel use, many jobs in that sector have already been lost. How can we balance our economy and our fight for a greener future? His answer was simple: while we may lose jobs on the way to a cleaner, healthier world, the long-term benefits of green energy far outweigh the losses. The new industries that will be sustained by this change will provide new jobs and help the economy flourish as a whole. We all stand to gain more happiness and welfare when our planet is safer and healthier. Lastly, Professor Sachs spoke about our need to grow closer and more trusting as a world. Countries need to work together to solve issues like lack of education and climate change. When we all focus on being global citizens, humanity benefits as a whole.

Next, we had another panel discussion with three inspiring people working to solve climate change. First, we heard from Professor Andre Correa d’Almeida from the School of International and Public Affairs. He spoke about his work creating the Development Practice Lab, which focuses on helping students use research to solve real problems. Professor d’Almeida teaches about sustainable development and works toward possible solutions. He emphasized the need to connect with the real world and get hand-on with reality. Like Professor Sachs, he also believed that global citizenship and international cooperation were the key to solving climate change and many other issues. Our next panelist was Priya Patel from the Environmental Commission in Millburn, NJ. She spoke about how she helped pass the No-Plastic ordinance in the town, limiting the amount of plastic stores used. She talked about how important it is to make your voice heard and just stand for your beliefs. Ms. Patel’s work is inspiring and shows how change is always possible. Lastly, we heard from Radley Faulknor from AmeriCorps VISTA, Public Works Department of Baltimore. He spoke about how redlined groups often face the worst effects of climate change, and how race factors into this issue. These groups face unsanitary living conditions because of their circumstances and homes. All three panelists showed us how faceted the issue of climate change is, and its importance in the world today.

Finally, we heard from Frida Ruiz and Bianca Palomino, two high school girls who decided to take initiative and fight climate change. Frida and Bianca are the founders of the Green Cause, an organization that works to increase environmental education (visit their website here). They produce lesson plans and educational content to help raise awareness within students. The Green Cause’s work perfectly shows how education can make an impact in climate change. Their work is also inspiring to us as the youth – they prove that we don’t need to be adults or have college degrees in order to make a difference. We should all strive to follow their example and work towards fighting climate change, no matter how big or small our contributions are. It takes all of us to make a change in battle, and today’s panelists have shown us all that we can make change regardless of age or circumstance.

Register for the conference here-

Register here: tiny.cc/climatesummit

The New York – New Jersey Youth Climate Education Summit is organized by the Center for Sustainable Development at the Earth Institute Columbia University in partnership with New Jersey Audubon and the National Wildlife Federation in New York City. The main objective of this weeklong Summit is to increase awareness about local environmental issues in the two States and to encourage community activism thought citizen science and other approaches. The Summit will also make youth aware of career pathways in sustainability and environmental education. There will be networking sessions with current sustainability track Columbia University students. The Summit will also provide opportunities for Q and As with world-renowned economists such as Jeffrey Sachs, marine biologist Joaquim Goes, and New York Times reporter and Earth Institute journalist Andrew Revkin. In addition, there will be numerous workshops designed to help youth enhance environmental skills, and play an active role in their communities to address sustainability issues. The Summit is a great opportunity to open young minds to the possibilities in research and activism. The Summit’s Keynote Speaker is New Jersey’s First Lady, Ms. Tammy Murphy who is spearheading Climate Change Education as an integral topic in New Jersey’s K-12 school curriculum.

Join us to ask questions, debate and participate!

Find the recording of Day 1 Here: https://youtu.be/9yD717ApGeQ