This Sunday, April 27, the PA Sustainability Coalition (PASC) hosted our second Youth Climate Summit. One of our biggest Earth Month events, the Summit featured a full day of programming, including a keynote speaker, workshops, and a speaker panel. The event hosted around 80 students from a wide range of schools and environmental organizations, such as Groundwork Lawrence, Boston Latin School, Salem Public Schools, and others. It was truly inspiring to see so many students learning from each other and leaders in the field, especially at a time when momentum on climate action can feel at risk. Many participants walked away not only energized but also equipped with new skills, concrete action items, and a stronger sense of how to engage in effective activism. The success of the Youth Climate Summit highlights the hunger among students for more active, meaningful programming around environmental issues. For years, Andover students have called for an “Earth Day On,” a day of active programming around environmental issues similar to the idea of an “MLK Day On.” This year’s Summit provides a great blueprint for what that might look like.
With a theme of climate policy and especially grassroots and local organizing, the Summit helped students recognize the strength of their voices and restore confidence in the power of collective action. One student, Cindy Zhou ’27, reflected that her workshop experience inspired her to become more involved and to use her voice more confidently in the future. Our keynote speaker, Mr. David O’Neill, President and CEO of Mass Audubon, a 128-year-old environmental organization, shared many hopeful stories of successful community organizing. He recounted how in both 2016 and 2020, communities of all political affiliations up and down the East Coast mobilized to block offshore oil and gas drilling proposals, successfully overturning federal plans both times. Such stories of the success of community organizing are especially inspiring in times when larger-scale government action can feel uncertain or even regressive. This emphasis on local action was echoed later in the day by our panelists, including Representative Tara Hong, the youngest member of the Massachusetts state legislature at 24 years old; Tristan Thomas, Director of Policy at Alternatives for Community & Environment, a grassroots environmental justice organization based in Roxbury, MA; and Sebastian Lemberger ’25, a student activist and member of the PASC. During the policy panel, Representative Hong reminded participants that while federal leadership can change dramatically, local and state governments often remain more stable, making grassroots organizing doubly important right now.
But the summit did more than just inspire us with hopeful messages. It taught students the tangible tools and skills needed to take effective action. Our five student-led workshops each equipped students with a different skill set. Lobbying 101 taught students the essentials of lobbying, such as the process of how bills become law, how to speak with legislators effectively, and the importance of following up and keeping them accountable. In Climate Hacks, students learned about how to organize a climate-themed hackathon based on insights from a hackathon the PASC hosted the night before. In the En-ROADS climate policy simulator workshop, students played the role of different stakeholders in the economy, working together to propose policies to minimise global warming while still achieving their own goals. The workshop helped students consider different perspectives in the economy. Hopeful Economics taught students about leading thinking in sustainable economics, such as the doughnut economics mode, wherein society has an optimal band of development, beyond which development becomes unsustainable. And last but not least, Connecting to Climate Through Art guided students to reflect on how climate change is portrayed in mediums such as visual art.
Mr. David O’Neill’s Mass Audubon’s “Impact Equation” similarly taught students how to make their voice heard; emphasizing that strategic advocacy requires setting clear priorities, backing proposals with science, educating the community, and organizing at the grassroots level. This idea that meaningful action demands strategy and skill resonated strongly with many students. As Bruce Ru ’28 reflected, “I think the main thing I learned at the Summit is that it isn’t just enough for youth to simply scream for environmental action, but that true impact takes many skills and strategic thinking to bring about. As the keynote speaker and panelists pointed out, it is essential to understand how environmental policy is driven by factors such as funding and electoral interests. Activism is an entire process that starts with determining who to campaign to and securing like-minded allies to find win-win solutions. Ultimately, the workshops at the Summit show us that youth have the power to share these insights and educate each other to make the most impact. This is what made today’s event so exciting and inspiring.”
Finally, Ophelia Lee ’26 highlighted that one of her biggest takeaways from the Summit was the importance of persistence in lobbying efforts. That same persistence is essential to any kind of student activism, especially when you’re being met with resistance. Youth activists will keep pushing forward, even when the path feels uphill. This year’s Youth Climate Summit showed just how meaningful it can be when students are given the space to learn, connect, and act together.
Similarly, an “Earth Day On” would not only be a great way to educate more students about one of the most pressing issues of our time, but also an opportunity for the school to show that it truly stands behind what the students care about. Climate change touches every part of our lives, from public health to global economies, so even students who may not see climate issues as a strong point of interest could benefit from learning more. Additionally, it would be a great way to connect student and faculty initiatives. Although we have a lot of environmental courses on campus and a few faculty came to the Summit, conversations between students and faculty have traditionally been limited. An “Earth Day On” would give students and faculty a real chance to collaborate on workshops, learn from each other’s perspectives, and build the kind of shared engagement that would make campus initiative more meaningful.
