Every November, close to 300 middle school, high school, undergraduate, and graduate students gather at Madison College for one of the only youth-led, youth-organized climate conferences in the Midwest.
The Wisconsin Youth Climate Conference, recently rebranded from the Dane County Youth Climate Conference, is an opportunity for young people already interested in sustainability, as well as those who are newer or just curious about how climate change is affecting our communities. Each year, around 20 schools and 30 organizations across the state participate, whether by presenting, exhibiting, or simply attending.
This year, the theme of the conference is Building Bridges, aiming to explore how we can build strong relationships between communities for a sustainable future. It takes place on Saturday, November 22nd, from 10 AM to 3:30 PM, but as always, attendees are free to register for either half of the day or the whole time. The conference is 100% free to attend, and Madison plant-based restaurant JustVeggiez will be catering a complimentary breakfast, lunch, and snack. Here’s an overview of the schedule:
10 – 10:30 AM
Registration, breakfast, and getting settled.
10:30 – 11:40 AM
Keynote address by the youngest ever White House advisor and TIME Next Generation Leader, Jerome Foster II.
11:40 AM – 1:20 PM
Lunch and time to explore exhibits by organizations, businesses, and student groups.
1:20 – 2:20 PM
Building Bridges group interactive activity, giving students an opportunity to brainstorm and share ideas with each other.
2:20 – 3:30 PM
Student groups and organizations take turns on stage, presenting on environmental projects they’ve done.
3:30 PM
Closing remarks and door prize giveaway!
So how can you register or get involved? You can register and find more information here, and if you want to volunteer or present/exhibit to represent your green team or organization, please fill out the respective form on this page. Presenters and exhibitors representing a student group or Wisconsin organization get a $100 honorarium! We hope to see you all at Madison College on November 22nd.
