High School Students Attend Vermont’s First Youth Climate Summit

Target 2 – Leadership in a Student Centered Learning Environment. FWSU will foster development of teacher & student leaders who provide innovative opportunities for local and global student-centered learning.

Action Step – Develop learning habits, communication and problem-solving skills necessary for collaborative learning and leadership.

Indicator of Success – Student voice will have the power to impact the perceptions of others.

BFA High School students join 26 other Vermont high schools to attend Vermont’s 1st Youth Climate Summit hosted by the University of Vermont Rubenstein School of Environmental and Natural Resources and Senator Bernie Sanders.

BFA high school students left to right, Kyle Louko, Annie DeZalia, Jennifer Plankey, Kailey Ware, Samantha King, Grace Riley and Mr. Lane (HS Science) at UVM for Youth Climate Summit — BFA high school students left to right, Kyle Louko, Annie DeZalia, Jennifer Plankey, Samantha King, Grace Riley and Mr. Lane (HS Science) at UVM for Youth Climate Summit

“Global warming is the planetary crisis of our time,” Sanders told the students. “The scientific community is telling us that we have a narrow window of opportunity to address the crisis of climate change and to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable energy,” added the senator, a member of both the Senate Energy and Environment committees.

Senator Sanders addresses the Youth Climate Summit at University of Vermont Dudley Davis Center.

“This was an excellent opportunity to begin to give our students a voice in the global climate change crisis,” said BFA science teacher Mr. Lane, “This issue is not just a science issue but transcends all subject matter.”

The 150+ high school students took part in morning and afternoon workshops organized by 65 UVM undergraduates who had studied ecological economics. Organizing the climate summit for young Vermonters was one of the goals of the college course that also focused on energy efficiency, renewable energy development and greenhouse gas auditing. Students and teachers worked in small teams to create climate action plans for their high schools.