Co-organized with the New England Aquarium, Boston Youth Climate Summit 2024 gives teens the creative freedom to define their roles in addressing climate change 

BOSTON – As part of Year of the Earthshot, a yearlong exploration of climate solutions and sustainability, the Museum of Science is partnering with the New England Aquarium to cohost a two-day Youth Climate Summit for 100 students from across Massachusetts. On October 18 and 19, teenagers from Greater Boston and beyond will come together for interactive climate action workshops, lightning talks with environmental leaders, and a climate justice resource and career fair. Keynoted by the “father of the environmental justice movement” Dr. Robert Bullard, the Boston Youth Climate Summit 2024 empowers young people to take an active role in developing and implementing sustainable solutions.

“This past year, we have dedicated the Museum’s programming—onsite, online, and in classrooms—to climate solutions and sustainability,” said Tim Ritchie, president of the Museum of Science. “As part of our mission to inspire a lifelong love of science in everyone, we are committed to giving young people the resources and support they need to bring climate action into their schools and communities. Our Center for the Environment is spearheading the Boston Youth Climate Summit for just this reason: to elevate youth voices on climate justice right here in Massachusetts.” 

“The New England Aquarium works not only to protect the ocean and marine animals from the unprecedented impacts of climate change, but also to inspire others to take action, as well,” said New England Aquarium President and CEO Vikki N. Spruill. “The youth members of our ClimaTeens program share our passion to help mitigate the impacts of climate change on our ocean and on our planet and bring climate change education to the community. We are delighted to support them and other youth participating in the Youth Climate Summit.”

An incubator for youth-driven climate action, the Youth Climate Summit takes a solutions-based approach to the environmental education gap, equipping emerging Gen Z leaders with the knowledge and skills they need to create and implement sustainable initiatives. Kicking off at the New England Aquarium on the evening of Friday, October 18 with an opening celebration, participants will enjoy reusable bag craft making, appetizers and mocktails at the Shark and Ray Touch Tank, and dinner and dessert alongside the main exhibits. The Summit brings students to the Museum of Science on Saturday from 8:30am to 6pm for a day of hands-on climate solution workshops designed to prepare them to effectively advocate for their communities and the environment. Environmental Justice leader Dr. Robert Bullard welcomes students to the Museum, hosting a Q&A at that afternoon’s Environmental Justice Resource Fair.

With Museum staff and participating climate partners, students will delve into energy and policy, upcycling, gardening and sustainable recipes, citizen science, environmental justice, and climate leadership. Partnering organization The Wild Center will work with students to develop their own climate action plans and create “green teams;” fellow student Angela Zhong leads a session on getting involved in environmental policy; and Florida Community Innovation founding director Caroline Nickerson covers the fundamentals of citizen science projects, empowering participants to take action in documenting our changing climate. 

As part of the day’s activities, participants in the Museum’s first in a new series of environmental justice convenings, “Champions for Environmental Justice,” will present a round of lightning talks about their work. From Greenroots, Inc. to the Environmental Protection Agency, Boston, to the Center for Sustainable Communities, partners will offer students a bird’s eye view of the environmental and climate justice movement. Massachusetts Clean Energy Center leads a panel on clean energy careers, introduced by their Chief Executive Officer Dr. Emily Reichert. 

“The Museum of Science brings together partners across industry, academia, government, and the public to confront our most pressing scientific problems today, climate change chief among them,” said David Sittenfeld, director of the Center for the Environment and co-principal investigator at the NIHHIS Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring. “Our Youth Climate Summit is designed to engage and empower the next generation of climate leaders, giving them a seat at the table with established environmental organizations and elevating their ideas and voices on a problem that affects them profoundly.”

The Boston Youth Climate Summit 2024, a capstone of the Year of the Earthshot, is organized by the Center for the Environment at the Museum of Science and the New England Aquarium. 

About the Museum of Science, Boston

As science and technology increasingly shape our lives, the Museum of Science strives to equip and inspire everyone to use science for the global good. Among the world’s largest science centers and New England’s most attended cultural institution, we engage nearly five million people a year—at Science Park and in museums around the world, in classrooms, and online. Established in 1830, the Museum is home to such iconic attractions as the Theater of Electricity, the Charles Hayden Planetarium, and the Mugar Omni Theater. The Museum influences formal and informal STEM education through research and national advocacy, as a strong community partner and loyal educator resource, and as a leader in universal design, developing exhibits and programming accessible to all. Learn more at mos.org.

About the New England Aquarium

The New England Aquarium is a nonprofit research and conservation organization that has protected and cared for our ocean and marine animals for more than 50 years. We provide science-based solutions and help shape policies that create measurable change to address threats the ocean faces. We inspire action through discovery and help create engaged, resilient communities.