News and resources for Student Environmentalists
Dane County High School climate conference
Find Your Voice
Take back your future
Save the Date: Saturday, November 11th at Madison College (1701 Wright Street Truax Campus)
This year's youth climate conference will address your climate anxiety and inspire you to take action. You will hear success stories, discover the ways Dane County has hope for the climate crisis, create a climate plan of action that keeps you energized, make meaningful connections with other passionate high schoolers, network with organizations that want to help you succeed, and strengthen your voice both as a high schooler and as an activist. Find out more about all of this, and more, on Saturday, November 11th, at Madison College. All Dane County high schoolers are invited, regardless of experience!
Free Admissions, Free Lunch, Free Parking!
keynote Speakers
Marinel Ubaldo
Marinel Ubaldo is a founder of the Youth Leaders for Environmental Action Federation, an organization that mentors young climate activists. After surviving a super-typhoon as a teenager, she shares her story around the globe, telling about the realities of climate change, and urging world leaders to uphold their climate commitments. She spoke at the international climate conferences COP 21 in Paris, and COP 25 in Madrid. She was the Philippine Country Coordinator for COY16 in Glasgow. In 2022 she spoke at the Clinton Global Initiative, to an audience of thousands of leaders and celebrities. Marinel also empowers frontline communities, raising awareness about climate change and ways to adapt and mitigate its effects. She is currently pursuing her Masters Degree in Environmental Management at Duke University in North Carolina.
Charles Hua
Charles Hua is a Policy Analyst at Rewiring America. Previously, Charles supported clean energy investment efforts with Generate Capital, developed clean energy projects with Avangrid, and analyzed climate regulation with the Environmental Protection Agency. While in college, Charles helped develop and write his university’s sustainability plan, served on its sustainability committee, organized energy conferences, and published research on a range of climate and energy issues. Charles has advised Fortune 500 companies and international NGOs on sustainability issues and serves on the Board of Directors for environmental nonprofits Slipstream, Energy News Network, and Clean Wisconsin and as a member of the Youth Hub for C40 Cities. Born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin, Charles organized a campaign that successfully petitioned his school district to become the largest in the U.S. at the time with a 100% renewable energy commitment. For his work, Charles has been recognized by the White House and U.S. Department of Education as a 2018 U.S. Presidential Scholar, by the Aspen Institute as a Future Climate Leader, and as an Energy News Network 40 Under 40 honoree. Charles holds an A.B. in Statistics and Mathematics from Harvard College.
All School
roundtable
What can you do to help deal with climate change? Where do you see opportunities to be involved? How might climate change fit into your future career plans? This roundtable will involve an activity that explores these questions and others as we challenge students to reflect on how they see themselves in dealing with the current and future challenges pose by climate change. By the end of this roundtable, students will have the opportunity to define their role and future goals and connect with others that share similar visions for how to build actionable steps to deal with climate change.
Dr Mikhaila Calice
Department of life sciences communications UW-Madison
Mikhaila N. Calice is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Dept of Life Sciences Communication, where she recently received her PhD. Mikhaila conducts community-engaged research that examines communication dynamics and public perceptions of risks related to science and technology issues like climate change, the energy transition, and artificial intelligence, among others. She also explores how engagement with various communities by scientists and others shapes perceptions and policy. A focus of her postdoctoral research includes an interdisciplinary project funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) that explores community-engaged approaches for local energy futures related to controversial energy issues. Mikhaila holds an MPA in Energy Analysis and Policy from the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BA in Political Science and International Studies - Randolph-Macon College.
Workshops
WORKSHOP 1:
tool kit for climate action
This workshop will discuss ways to organize, fundraise, and find allies for climate projects. We’ll also talk about how to create events and outreach in a way that generates enthusiasm and we will provide a resources for you to use. Evansville High School will show an example of how this works in practice, and you’ll have the remainder of the time to share and flesh-out your own ideas with other students in the workshop.
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Workshop Facilitators:
WORKSHOP 2
Let’s Lead! Inspiring Your Local Government to Climate Action
Do you want to see your local officials do more on climate? Are you frustrated that your voice is not being heard? This is the workshop for you! We’ll talk about strategies that really work and share real-world examples
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Workshop Facilitators:
Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change
Isak Drangstveit
Waunakee High School
Xanthe Saalmann
Madison Country Day School
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WORKSHOP 3:
Be a Disrupter
​In this decade of environmental and economic disruption learn how to be a change agent for a circular economy and a sustainable future.
In this workshop you'll make a plan to adopt environmental products & services and learn how to make your behavior contagious.
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Workshop Facilitators:
Owner 10001ways.com
Hana Rudykh
Senior Middleton High School
Krishna Elwell
Monona Grove High School
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WORKSHOP 4:
Make the environment your Career
Learn about environmental education and career opportunities today and in your future. What new pathways have opened up and how do I find them? Whatever you decide to do sustainability will be a component of your career.
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Workshop Facilitators
Armila Aeilts
Madison College
Dr Ankur Desai Professor & Department Chair in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Akanksha Denduluri
Senior Madison STEM program
SCHEDULE
Morning Session
8:30 Registration
9:00 Keynote - Charles Hua
10:00 Roundtable Discussion - Mikhaila Calice
11:00 High School Presentations
12:00-1:00 Lunch and Idea Fair
Afternoon Session
12:00-1:00 Lunch & Idea Fair
1:00 Keynote - Marinel Ubaldo
2:00 Workshops
4:00 Open Mic - Idea Fair
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Attend morning or afternoon or both sessions
present your project
Get a booth for your high school club or organization
What is your club's project? Share it with other schools and organizations from the community. Collaborate with and find sponsors for your program.
Earn an award
for your club
Earn a $100 award for tabling and/or presenting from the podium your current or planned climate or environmental project
High Schools Registered
Tables
Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change
United Nations Association Dane County
Sunrise Youth Hub
Green Tech