By Abbas Nazil
A group of 150 ambitious student leaders from 23 schools across New York and Vermont gathered at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake for the annual Youth Climate Summit, an event that has grown into a major platform empowering young people to advance climate solutions in their communities.
The summit took place as global leaders met in Belem, Brazil for the COP30 climate negotiations, highlighting the parallel role of youth in pushing forward climate action even as nations continue committing to the Paris Agreement targets.
Founded in 2009 by The Wild Center, the Adirondack Youth Climate Summit has since inspired similar youth-led gatherings in 28 states and 11 countries, evolving from a science-focused program designed for youth into a hands-on, interdisciplinary summit shaped and led by the young participants themselves.
According to Jen Kretser, The Wild Center’s Director of Climate Initiatives, earlier summits centered heavily on scientific presentations with limited diversity of perspectives, whereas the modern format gives students full ownership, promotes creativity, and emphasizes practical solutions.
Kretser explained that youth agency — the belief in one’s own power to influence the future — has become a driving force behind the summit’s success and long-term impact.
During the second day, students visited interactive stations at the Community Climate Action Hub, engaging with emerging tools and technologies designed to support climate-positive behavior.
At the Better Choices station, students tested an AI-powered tool called FamiliesCuttingCosts.org, which calculated the carbon footprint and financial cost of their breakfast choices, allowing them to identify lifestyle decisions that can reduce emissions.
Paul Smith’s College offered students an immersive VR experience that simulated how rising temperatures are altering plant life in the Adirondacks, helping youth visualize the direct consequences of climate change in their region.
Representatives from Cornell University, Skidmore College and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry also met with participants to discuss academic pathways in sustainability, with ESF highlighting its field-based ranger curriculum and specialized fire training programs.
Exhibitors such as TRANE Technologies showcased industry-recognized credentials available to students, while education-focused organizations including Gaia Scholastic and SubjectToClimate presented interdisciplinary teaching resources for the 30 attending educators.
Participants expressed how the summit influenced their perspectives and strengthened their motivation.
Sunny Edwards, a junior at Keene Central School, said he once experienced climate anxiety but found community and purpose through working with The Wild Center, helping plan the summit and recognizing youth voices as essential to long-term decision-making.
He referenced the Indigenous Haudenosaunee Seven Generations principle, emphasizing that today’s choices must ensure sustainable conditions far into the future.
Jasper Surdo of Beekmantown High School, the only attendee from his large school, shared plans to form a Green Team and introduce composting initiatives, arguing that adults should recognize young people as knowledgeable, capable contributors to climate solutions.
The summit concluded with a Climate Action Planning workshop led by Surdo and fellow youth leader Amelia Pratt of Tupper Lake High School, who is developing a community greenhouse project.
Students received a toolkit for identifying local change-makers, conducting power mapping, and performing root-cause analyses to design effective community projects, resulting in more than 25 student-led climate initiatives now in development.
For many participants, the summit shifted feelings of isolation into empowerment.
Lily Powers of Lake Placid High School said climate advocacy can take many creative forms and that learning alongside peers transformed her outlook from hopelessness to hope, reinforcing the collective strength of youth working toward a sustainable future.
