Dear Friend,

We are blown away by the success of our first Climate&Me Youth Leadership Summit – a HUGE thank you to all of the students, educators, and guests who joined us in Orono last Friday. We had over 250 students and teachers from 27 high schools across 12 Maine counties. It was incredible to see so many empowered students learning to communicate with key partners, start projects at their schools, understand how to engage with their local government on climate, and so much more.

During the breakout sessions, students learned from their peers about climate communication, permaculture ethics and how they apply to climate action, theories of change, what their “eco-personality” is and how to apply that to climate leadership, composting projects, key partner engagement, and more.

Educators broke out into their own sessions and learned from our partners at the Maine Department of Education, Maine Environmental Education Association, and the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance about climate education resources and tools. And new connections were made during “climate leadership bingo,” where students crossed off squares on a special bingo card to network with each other and begin new friendships. 

A highlight of the day for me, Summit Coordinator Abigail Hayne, was looking out at the group while Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson chatted with Youth Climate Council Representative Edge Venuti to kick off the summit. 

So many people helped to make the day possible: student workshop presenters, partners from the Summit Steering Committee who presented workshops to educators and tabled during the Resource Fair, and colleagues on the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future’s climate team. Thank you!

This was not a standalone day: we are committed to supporting continued youth engagement in climate leadership through extended programming and educational offerings. If you couldn’t attend the Summit, stay tuned for some upcoming announcements through this newsletter or on the Maine Climate Council's social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn).

• June 10, 2025 | 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.,  Maine Climate Council

• Sept. 25, 2025 | 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.,  Maine Climate Council

• Dec. 1, 2025 | 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.,  Maine Climate Council