By Abbas Nazil
More than 130 high school students from Kent, Caroline, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, and Dorchester counties gathered at Chesapeake College last month for ShoreRivers’ fourth annual Upper Shore Youth Environmental Action Summit.
The event, designed to inspire and empower young environmental leaders, brought together students from 10 different schools for a full day of learning, networking, and engagement with pressing environmental issues.
Organized by ShoreRivers and planned by a team of student leaders alongside the nonprofit’s staff, the summit featured a variety of activities meant to ignite a passion for environmental action among the youth.
The event opened with a vibrant networking breakfast that hosted 19 local organizations offering internship, volunteer, and job opportunities for high school students.
This was the summit’s largest networking breakfast to date, providing attendees with direct access to professionals and organizations working in environmental fields.
A highlight of the day was the keynote address delivered by James Ronayne, a college student, environmental advocate, photographer, and social media influencer known for his work around the Chesapeake Bay.
Ronayne spoke passionately about his deep connection to local waterways and emphasized the importance of individual and collective efforts in protecting and restoring the environment.
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His words resonated strongly with attendees, many of whom left the session feeling motivated to take action in their own communities.
The afternoon was dedicated to hands-on learning through diverse workshop sessions. Topics ranged from scuba diving to monitor oyster reefs, to environmental justice, water quality, and other conservation issues relevant to the region.
These workshops were designed to provide students with both knowledge and practical skills that they could take back to their schools and communities.
One student attendee expressed how being surrounded by like-minded peers was both inspiring and empowering, saying, “Being around people who care about our planet is always inspiring and encouraging.
It makes me feel like we can do something about all the problems we’ve created, and it motivated me to try to make some change.”
Since its inception, the Upper Shore Youth Environmental Action Summit has been a student-driven event, highlighting the leadership and creativity of young people in tackling environmental challenges.
By fostering a space for youth to connect, learn, and lead, ShoreRivers continues to cultivate the next generation of environmental stewards.
The 2025 summit was made possible through the support of several sponsors, including the Dockray Charitable Foundation, The Curtis & Edith Munson Foundation, the Campbell Foundation, The Henry Foundation, Fred Frederick, the Waterfowl Festival, IKEA, Chesapeake College, Rauch Inc., Phillips Wharf Environmental Center, Chesapeake Bay Trust, Easton Dermatology Associates LLC, Hobbs Contractors Inc., and YSI.
