The Youth Climate Conference (YCC) is the largest event of its kind in Dane County, inspiring students like high school seniors Nina Zhu and Madeleine Bohn to take action. They first attended the conference as freshmen and were so moved by the youth-led gathering that they volunteered to help organize subsequent events.
"I had never been to a large gathering led by youth," Nina said, "I didn’t feel alone in my concern for the environment." Madeleine agreed, "I realized that there were so many people that cared and had so many projects happening in the county and beyond."
Now, as key members of the planning committee, Nina and Madeleine see firsthand how the conference promotes collaboration among youth, college students, and government staff. The youth-forward event is designed to be inclusive and is completely free to all attendees.
This year’s conference will be on November 22 and will feature a keynote speaker, breakout groups, networking, and door prizes. As the YCC continues to grow, Nina and Madeleine hope it will one day expand to build bridges with more youth across the state and beyond.
“People leave with a sense of hope and responsibility to do something,” Nina said. “It is incredibly inspiring and motivating to be in this room,” added Madeleine
Post-graduation, Madeleine hopes to study linguistics and psychology focusing on communication sciences and how information is analyzed by our brains. She says no matter what, climate change will continue to inform her studies. Nina is interested in the intersection of public health and environmental work, such as understanding how climate change will increase disease spread.
Scarlette is an LTE Project Assistant in the Office of Energy and Climate Change. She recently graduated from Dartmouth College, where she majored in Environmental Studies with a focus on energy. She has always been passionate about energy issues and local politics.
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