Ashokan Center holds climate change youth summit - NEWS10 ABC

Ashokan Center holds climate change youth summit

OLIVEBRIDGE, N.Y. ( NEWS10) — The Ashokan Center held its third annual Youth Empowerment and Sustainability Summit (YESS) from Wednesday, February 21, to Friday, February 23. It was for upper middle school and high school students to build skills and confidence to lead community action for climate change with the theme “From Coalition to Action: How to Lead Change in Your Community.”

YESS is a three-day immersive experience that shows young people how to take action and make a change in their communities. There are sessions led by regional experts in civic engagement surrounding climate change, sessions led by students discussing their personal experiences, as well as group work for attendees to develop an action plan to take home and present.

The summit helps enhance the attendees’ skill sets while also allowing them to gain cultural experience and see other perspectives. It helped the students network, brainstorm, and present the changes they want to bring to their communities.

Caroline Bailey, Ashokan staff member and organizer of the event said, “We are so proud of all the summit attendees and the important work they have done at the Ashokan Center during their time at the summit. They have made valuable connections and had unique experiences that will last a lifetime. It will be exciting to see how these inspired students carry this work forward as environmental stewards, change agents in their communities, and beacons of hope.”