NH and VT both run Youth Climate Leaders Academies (YCLA) through VEEP/NHEEP (VT & NH Energy Education Program). High school students from these programs were eager to provide a spin-off of the academy for middle schoolers in order to help get them excited to attend the YCLA when they move up to high school. Due to budding relationships built out of the Squam Lakes CLE this idea was able to come to fruition! Aubrey Nelson, reached out to her fellow CLEers: Phoebe Hartvigsen from Squam Lakes Nature Center, Leigh Ann Reynolds from NHEEP, Jess Munroe from Grow Nashua, Elizabeth McClellan from Holder School, and master gardener Hannah MacBride to collaborate on this endeavor with the youth climate leaders on a very short runway to have it ready in time for Earth day, just 2 short months away!
This was a youth directed and led event and was co-organized with student organizers/presenters from Oyster River, Portsmouth, Seacoast Students 4 Sustainability, Hopkinton, Nashua, Grow Nashua, 350NH, and Holderness School. Everyone met several times to discuss logistics with an emphasis on allowing the high school students to direct the schedule and content of the summit itself along with all details. The educators were there to provide support when needed and taking on whatever roles necessary.
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center hosted the event which consisted of three concurrent workshops each lasting two hours: energy efficiency, gardening and compost, and wildlife conservation. With the incredible work of all of the organizers and presenters the first annual Sustainability & Action Summit (SAS) for middle schoolers was a huge success and hosted 20 middle school students. Both youth and adult organizers had a lot of fun running this program and building relationships with one another. This event received some amazing feedback from teachers and students alike. It was such a joyful event and all of the groups left excited to initiate climate projects in their middle schools with their classmates and sustainability clubs.
