Third Annual BUEI Youth Climate Summit

[Written by Leeya Jeremy]

The third annual BUEI Youth Climate Summit took place during November 15-17,2023. The summit was officially introduced the week prior, on Friday the 10th, and continued on the 15th.

Each of the four days focused on one of the three summit tracks: Conservation, Sustainability, and Climate Justice. The first two days were taken to introduce the topics separately and the last two days were used for participants to meet in person and get into their groups to draw up plans for their environmental project that will hopefully take place later in the year.

One of these planning sessions is further described by one of the CedarBridge Academy students that attended.

Ms. Layla Rabain stated, “The Youth Climate Summit presentations were mainly about how to create more green energy and eliminate plastic use. In my track, Conservation, we were split into groups and allowed to draw up a business plan on any environmental project we wanted to pursue. The project that my group decided on was the cutting down of Casuarina trees, an invasive species of trees which rips up the rocks by our ocean causing the island to become even smaller and preventing other native trees from growing around it.”

She also declared, “I thoroughly enjoyed the presentations which were very informative however I wish they provided more of an opportunity for the students to discuss and express their ideas or opinions with the participants and experts in their track. I also wish that they would have spoken more specifically about climate change since, especially in the USA and Bermuda, it is becoming increasingly deadly.”

Many incoming students shared the same sentiments as Ms. Rabain in the thought that they were given more of an opportunity to learn from the experts rather than from each other. Although, most students really enjoyed the program and the activities that took place.

Whilst newcomers and students that had not taken part of the year round activities of the Youth Climate Summit from 2022-2023 were not really given a voice during the summit, the YCS Alumni acted as advocates for the people that were not given that chance.

The YCS Alumni were allowed to present on the matter both for the online presentations and an in-person panel on the last day. YCS Alumni gathered together on the 16th to discuss the events that they had taken part in in the months prior, in order to present to their eager peers about why they should join the year long initiative. The panel presenters were students from CedarBridge Academy: Terrai Trott and Michaiah Bremar, and The Berkeley Institute: Azaiah Hewey, Aaron Lugo, Teyjah Bean and Isaiah Fraser.

Everyone was introduced to and had the chance to work closely with the climate activists and subject matter experts who were onsight with us. Our Climate experts were Bodhi Patil, Ela Gökçigdem, and Jevanic Henry.

All in all, the Youth Climate Summit was a marvelous experience and I would definitely recommend it, whether you are interested in Climate change or not. There are various valuable things to learn about our earth and the way the things we do affect it. If you are interested in knowing more about what happened during the program visit the YCS website at : ycsbda.com

Photos courtesy of Dr. Rosemarie MacMahon

#ClimateChange

Category: All, Environment