The “Miami Youth Climate Summit” was a virtual event on March 6th, 2021. The hosts of the conference were a combination of 9 local schools in Miami. The leaders of the summit were students my age and even younger. This humbled and inspired me. It was powerful to see student leaders so driven to create such a large platform in order to express their attitudes towards climate change. The first workshop I was apart of, outlined what climate change was. Directly following this workshop, there was a lecture on what we can do to stop it. The focus of the summit was to promote the need for honest education and practical solutions to climate change, so I appreciated their introduction. The team of students coordinated breakout rooms, mini-lectures, and guest speakers. The summit lasted all day and was packed full of conversation and insight.
The summit speakers consisted of students from Miami, founders of sustainable companies, national geographic explorers, members of Miami’s local government, and panels of speakers. What was interesting to me, as a resident of Colorado State and Washington State, was that the focus of some of the speakers was the threats that Miami faces because of climate change. This insight on a different local region to mine was interesting to learn more about. Although the discussion’s focus was on Miami at some points, the summit generally pushed for global solutions that people from any region could act upon. There was both a local and global perspective. Suggestions consisted of cultivating native habitats, involvement in local non-profits, and local political engagement.
Another memorable moment of the summit, to me, was a panel of young professionals that explained potential academic pathways to studying climate, specifically, through physical and social sciences. Each of the panelists told stories of their academic path and what it lead to. I was surprised to notice a common theme. Most of the panelists did not initially go to college to study climate. I appreciated hearing these panelists because their insight was directly focused towards me, an upperclassman high schooler. They inspired me to look into different programs and to say yes to helping.
In all, the Miami Youth Climate Summit was very inspirational. Often summits covering climate change can fill me with fear and hopelessness. However, the young leaders of the Miami Youth Climate Summit successfully brought in insightful speakers and presented powerful solutions.