From February 21 – 23, the Ashokan Center held its 3rd Youth Empowerment & Sustainability Summit (YESS!). Students from grades 6 – 12 assembled from the Hudson Valley, Adirondacks, New York City, Massachusetts, and Connecticut for this immersive, three-day event. The theme this year was From Coalition to Action: How to Lead Change in Your Community.
Students attended a series of informative presentations and workshops, and also engaged in enrichment activities including team building, musical performances, and hiking. Speakers included Senator Michelle Hinchey and Tim Guinee of Climate Action Now and the Climate Reality Project, along with student empowerment and climate action groups such as Students for Climate Action and The Wild Center.
Students worked together in teams to develop climate action plans that they presented to each other at the end of the summit. The summit helped them network, brainstorm, and develop valuable skills for coalition-building and presenting the changes they want to drive in their communities. Ellery Spikes, a senior at NEST+M High School who represented Climate & Resilience Education Task Force of NYC, said, “It was in a sense life changing because you’re able to gather with so many passionate people, and people who are either just finding themselves in the movement or who can be mentors and have already been involved for decades.”
Teachers and chaperones also had opportunities to network with each other and for professional development. Attendees left the summit with new found connections, actionable pathways forward, and a reinvigorated sense of hope for the future. Kelly Downs, Bennett Elementary School teacher reflected, “Thank you for providing such an amazing opportunity. It was wonderful to see our young crew flourish throughout the presentations, conversations and fun.”
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.”
Thank you to our team sponsors and partner organizations who made this collaborative event possible including Radiokingston, Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program, Mid-Hudson Teacher Center, The Wild CenterThe Wild Center , New Yorkers for Clean Power, Students for Climate Action, and the Climate Reality Project.
