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Earlier this fall, several Emma Willard School students had the opportunity to attend and present at the annual Adirondack Youth Climate Summit. Hosted by The Wild Center (a natural history center in Tupper Lake, NY), students from across the region came together not just to participate, but lead workshops, panels, and more.
The nine students who attended the summit are members of Emma Willard School’s red-tier leadership group, the Eco Leaders (student leaders who promote, educate, and raise awareness of sustainability initiatives on campus and beyond), and members of Emma Green, the school’s environmental club.
Members of the club delivered an interactive presentation, titled “How to Create a Green Team with Enthusiasm and Success,” centered on creating and sustaining a ‘green team’ in a campus community. Drawing from their experiences, they shared practical strategies and tools with different schools, walking around and interacting with peers to understand what their communities were like and how best to launch their own initiatives, emphasizing how student-led environmental action can create change in school communities.
Emma Willard School students presenting at the 2025 climate summit.
“One of the best things about the Climate Summit was seeing so many other people our age also interested in making a difference and caring so deeply about taking care of our planet,” says Maela N. ’26, a co-head of Emma Green who attended the summit.
Emma Willard Students leading an inter-school panel during the climate summit.
Fellow co-head Esme A.’26 adds, “it was really powerful to have the opportunity to present on Emma's sustainability work, and to be able to make connections with students from other schools."
Throughout the summit, attendees immersed themselves in topics of the climate crisis from various disciplines and angles. Smaller sessions included perspectives from scientists, activists and youth leaders, while specialized workshops allowed for deep-dives into specific topics. Attendees participated in experiments from canning jam, to learning about the role of sheep in the carbon cycle, discussing issues pertaining to food justice, and conversations about renewable energy and sustainable agriculture.
Learning about the role of sheep in the carbon cycle alongside the sheep themselves!
A look at how ready students feel to take action in the climate crisis.
In addition to helping students explore data-driven solutions to the climate crises, the summit is an opportunity for students to connect with peers across a network of schools and organizations with a common commitment to environmental action and change.
Follow the inspiring work of the Eco Leaders and Emma Green on their instagram, including a newly-launched newsletter featuring more details from the summit!
Find more interesting stories about Emma Willard School on our Newsroom page.