Youth Climate Summit Brings MN Students, Lawmakers Together
Monday, April 23, 2018
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Students from across Minnesota get a chance to bring their concerns about climate change and the environment directly to their state lawmakers this week. About 200 young people are expected to participate in the Youth Climate Justice Summit, this Wednesday at the Minnesota State Capitol.
Jason Rodney, "YEA! MN" coordinator for Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy, the organization hosting the summit, says the students will have a chance to network, learn, and put those new lessons into action.
"We'll have a training for students on how to have effective conversations with their lawmakers and then, throughout the afternoon, youth will go and meet with their representatives and senators who represent their districts," he says.
The day begins with an audience with Gov. Mark Dayton and includes workshops on the science of climate change and remarks from several environmental-advocacy groups. While most who are attend are in high school, organizers say middle schoolers and college students are welcome to join as well.
Rodney says many students who've attended the summit or worked with Climate Generation have become very effective voices in the debate about climate change.
"One of the student leaders who graduated from our youth program went to the International Climate Negotiations this November in Bonn, Germany, and was part of the youth delegation there," he notes.
Registration for the summit is online at climategen.org. There's no cost and Rodney says young people can sign up to attend, right up to the day of the event.
get more stories like this via email
Health and Wellness
A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …
Social Issues
Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …
Social Issues
Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…
Social Issues
A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …
Social Issues
Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …
Social Issues
Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…