The annual Broward Youth Climate Summit provides a platform for Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) students in grades 5-12 to engage in climate solutions, learn about professional careers related to climate change, advocate for policy change, and promote environmental sustainability. Students at the summit attend breakout sessions with environmental experts and network with their peers and our community partners.

Sixth Annual Broward Youth Climate Summit
February 9, 2024 - Pompano Beach High School

Theme: Forecast for the Future

The Sixth Annual Broward Youth Climate Summit was held on February 9, 2024 for over 900 students at Pompano Beach High School. Students were required to research a green technology and either create a new or modify this existing technology to solve a climate change problem of the future. They shared their "forecast for the future" of green technology at the summit.

Student posters can be accessed here - 2023-24 Posters

The program can be accessed via this Canvas link.

Fifth Annual Broward Youth Climate Summit
February 10, 2023 - Pompano Beach High School

Theme: I am the Change: Connect, Commit, Act! 

The Fifth Annual Broward Youth Climate Summit was held on February 10, 2023 (in-person), at Pompano Beach High School, for over 900 BCPS students who attended 42 sessions by experts in the environmental arena. The list of sessions and the agenda can be found at 2023 Youth Climate Summit and Sessions.

As part of this year's summit, a few selected high school students attended the Broward County and the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact's 14th Annual Southeast Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit on December 8 and 9, 2022, at the Broward Convention Center. Student attendees at the Regional Climate Change Compact Summit below.

2022 - Fourth Annual Broward Youth Climate Summit (Virtual and In-Person Summit)

The Fourth Annual Broward Youth Climate Summit was held virtually on March 9-10 and in-person on April 20, 2022 at the Museum of Discovery and Science (MODS). The theme for this year was "Climate Change, Climate Justice" and keynote speakers at the virtual summit included Rachel Sarah, author of Girl Warriors: How 25 Young Activists Are Saving the Earth, Hannah Testa, and Daphne Frias, student activists featured in the book, and Neela Banerjee, Supervising Climate Editor of NPR. Closing keynote speaker AY Young, producer, singer, songwriter, entertainer, and entrepreneur. AY is one of the first artists to power his concerts with 100% renewable energy. The 2022 Virtual Broward Youth Climate Summit Program (for the public) can be found at https://bit.ly/2022BrowardYouthClimateSummitProgram 

Students who participated in the in-person summit at MODS on April 20 completed their Climate Action Plans and learned how to effectively communicate their ideas. Sessions included The Power of Social Media, The Underwater: Using Socially Engaged Art to Tackle Sea-Level Rise, Harnessing the Power of Your Voice in the Climate Movement, Community-Centered Action: Utilizing the Three Lenses of Sustainability, Creating Emotional Attachments through Digital Media, Changing Our Florida Constitution to Include the Rights to Clean Water, Meteorology, Using Debate to Advance the Climate Action Plan, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Infographic Posters. 

Watch students in action at this year's summit at https://twitter.com/i/status/1517561966570749954

Virtual 2-Day Summit Speakers:

The Fourth Broward Youth Climate Summit programs can be accessed via Canvas (virtual summit) and downloadable in-person program here 

Rising Waters Art Project at BCPS - November 1-5, 2021 - showcased unique art installations at schools throughout the District in support of the Youth Climate Summit. Rising Waters is a conceptual art project that raises awareness about the impact of climate change to local communities by highlighting future possible flood levels resulting from sea-level rise and storm conditions. The colorful installation artwork provides a visual representation of the potential future by highlighting water at ankle, knee, hip, or eye level. For more information, visit the Rising Waters Art Project at BCPS page.

2021 - Third Annual Broward Youth Climate Summit (A 3-Day Virtual Summit)

The Third Annual Broward Youth Climate Summit was held virtually on March 9-11, 2021.  Students district-wide attended the Summit where they had the opportunity to learn from youth and experts on the global climate change challenge, its regional implications, and local actions everyone can take to address the challenge. Keynote Speakers for March 9: Renowned astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, comedian Chuck Nice, and climatologist Dr. Gavin Schmidt! There was a special Cosmic Queries episode of StarTalk exclusively for Broward Youth Climate Summit participants. We had other incredible keynote speakers for March 10 and 11 as well! See all of the speakers at the 2021 Youth Climate Summit program (public)

2020 - Second Annual Broward Youth Climate Summit (In-Person)

The Second Broward Youth Climate Summit was held on January 10, 2020 at the Museum of Discovery and Science with the theme of Sea Level Rise.  Over 800 BCPS middle and high school students attended this incredible summit and were amazed at the different breakout sessions they attended.  Sessions included Engineering, Law/Debate, Politics/Civic, Government/Planning/Traffic/Utilities, Economics/Finance/Insurance/Real Estate, Arts/Entertainment, Communication/Media, Social/Human Services, and Technology/Science (Bio/Ecology).

To access the event schedule, session descriptions, and supporters, download here.

Media coverage of this event can be found at:

• CBS: https://miami.cbslocal.com/2020/01/10/watch-broward-youth-climate-summit-sea-level-rise/
• Sun Sentinel: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/schools/fl-ne-youth-climate-summit-20200110-bki43rnfvnbrhfjqz4avmifpny-story.html
• WLRN: https://wlrn.us/36KPR1w
• NBC6: https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/climate-change-center-of-conversation-at-broward-youth-summit/2175710/
• Invading Seas: https://www.theinvadingsea.com/2020/01/02/broward-schools-climate-summit-designed-to-help-students-understand-climate-challenges-and-how-to-address-them/

Pictured above (L-R): Superintendent Runcie, Susan Cantrick, Beam Furr, Hector Ponte, Heather Brinkworth, Noah Vlenstein, Joseph P. Cox.
Image from the Museum of Discovery and Science and Michael Murphy. 

2019 - First Broward Youth Climate Summit

Over 400 middle and high school BCPS students attended the inaugural Broward Youth Climate Summit on January 25th, 2019 at the Global Events Center in Fort Lauderdale.  The Youth Climate Summit provided a platform for students to advocate for policy change and gives students a voice for promoting environmental sustainability.  Students who attended the Summit shared their climate action plans or projects and networked with each other, elected officials and scientists working on sustainability issues.

The event was held in collaboration with the Broward County Environmental Planning and Community Resilience Division. 

To access the event schedule, speaker bios and supporters, download the program here

Watch students interact with each other and the panelists from BECON's production: https://eduvision.tv/l?egAmDA