Youth Leadership Summit

What is the Youth Leadership Summit?

 

The United Nations Foundation in partnership with the National Forensic League and IDEA held the first annual Youth Leadership Summit this past July, 2008.  The Summit brought together over 160 students and teachers from all over the world for three full days of knowledge exchange, skill-building and action. Activities included:

• A day at the United Nations where participants heard from an expert field of panelists and keynote speaker, Dr. Robert Orr, Assistant Secretary-General of Policy Coordination and Strategic Planning, on the importance of stepping forward in the climate change crisis. 
  
• Workshop and team-building activities on defining personal power and creatively sharing our stories and messages through the use of social media from Campus Camp Wellstone and Adobe Youth Voices.
  
• Action-oriented service projects around New York where participants learned about environmental justice in vulnerable urban areas, improving city neighborhoods through greening projects, the importance of community-based recycling and composting, and how to engage others in individual change by handing out CFL light bulbs at NYC's premiere Greenmarket. 
  
• The event culminated with a beautiful Circle Line sightseeing boat tour around the island of Manhattan.   The cruise was complete with dinner, dancing, and an awards ceremony. 

STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE 2009 YOUTH LEADERSHIP SUMMIT TO BE HELD NEXT JULY IN NEW YORK CITY.  TO QUALIFY TO COME, YOU MUST REGISTER AND PARTICIPATE IN THE OCTOBER OR MARCH GLOBAL DEBATES. 

Youth Climate Pledge

Prior to arriving at the summit, students created a Youth Climate Pledge. Students contributed their ideas on how we can combat the climate change crisit at home, at school, in our communities, and around the world on a group wiki.

During the Youth Leadership Summit, participants took the full list of ideas from the wiki and debated in small groups what ideas should be part of the final pledge. The official Youth Climate Pledge now outlines 21 tangible and signifcant ways youth can take action to confront climate change.  

The Pledge is available online and ready to be circulated and distributed by YOU.  Don't wait for someone else to ask you to get involved.  Start now by creating your own Action Plan using the Youth Climate Pledge as your catalyst. 

For more information on using the Pledge, including earning points during the Global Debates, please visit the Pledge homepage. 

FAQ's

Q: How can I attend the Youth Leadership Summit?  

A: To attend the Youth Leadership Summit, you must have participated in the previous year's Global Debates contest and be registered through an accredited high school.  The student age range is 15-19.  Participants may register from all over the world! 

Q: Is my trip paid for?  

A: The top 16 Global Debate teams (10 from the U.S. and 6 international) will win airfare, hotel and summit registration for their Global Debates team (four-person student and two teachers). 

Q: If my team attends, where will we stay? 

A: This past year, participants of the Summit stayed at the Grand Hyatt in New York City.  We will have similar accomodations for next summer.