Green Tech High Student Climate Change Ambassadors (SCCA) attend Adirondack Youth Summit on Climate Change.

Green Tech Climate Change Ambassadors (from left to right) Qua Shawn Van Tull, Brother Yusuf Burgess, Ms. Amanda Wilson, Jabbar Johnson, Aaron Cassidy and Lionel Mann.

Adirondack Youth Summit was held at The Wild Center (Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks) in Tupper Lake, 2010 on November 9&10. The two-day summit was a successful means for students, educators, administrators and staff to work together to build a realistic, achievable plan to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Through partnership schools learn, formulate and implement ideas regarding climate change. The Summit served student and teacher participants from 30 schools throughout the Adirondacks and Northeast New York State – bringing together high school juniors and seniors, college students, educators, school administrators, and facility staff to discuss how climate change is affecting them and their future.

Students learn more about Solar Power and other alternative energy sources.

Director of Programs at The Wild Center Jen Kretser,  invited student/members of Albany City’s Green Tech High Charter School – BOYS OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP TEAM to attend. The Green Tech High students were escorted by the school’s Service learning Coordinator, Ms. Amanda Wilson and the Family Intervention counselor, Brother Yusuf Burgess. Troy High School was also in attendance, as the second urban school, adding to the conversations and planning.  The students attended a series of sessions and hands on workshops, hearing research-based information about ecological consequences of climate change. They also learned strategies to respond to climate change and in the process save their school and communities money.

Green Tech students Qua Shawn Van Tull, Jabbar Johnson, Lionel Mann and Aaron Cassidy represented the school’s student body and benefited through increased knowledge and leadership skills gained by their participation in the Summit.  These students developed carbon and cost reduction plan to bring back to Green Tech High and their community.

As a group these Student Climate Change Ambassadors (SCCA) will share their school action plan with other interested students and members of the BOYS OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP TEAM. Their mission is to implement a school cafeteria waste and recycling program and assist the school administrators in the reduction of the carbon footprint of Green Tech High Charter School, see their school serve as a model in energy efficiency, sustainable energy usage, building maintenance, landscaping and grounds management, school and community gardening planning and how to affect the current science curriculum in the school.

Brother Yusuf (center) takes a break with students at the Fresh Water Fish display at the Museum.

These Green Tech High Students, along with 6 other young men from the school’s Boys Outdoor Leadership Team, will be attending the Green Careers and Job Fair at New York City’s New School on December 11, 2010. They will visit with representatives from regional organizations, find out about jobs, internships, scholarships and programs for environmental careers in the New England area.  This select team of students will network with over 100 high school students and teachers from environmentally-themed high schools in New York City and build career-enhancing skills and get the scoop on trends in green jobs.