At a rainy Saturday in Chelsea, Avenues the World School hosted the inaugural Youth Climate Action Alliance Interscholastic Conference, a fully student-run gathering that brought 14 high schools together for workshops, a showcase of projects, and a panel with
It was a quiet. rainy Saturday afternoon in Chelsea—until the students of Avenues the World School filled the building for something they’d been building toward all year. The inaugural Youth Climate Action Alliance (YCAA) Interscholastic Conference kicked off with energy that didn’t match the weather.
Students Sahara Maazel and Suman Shah led the event, which brings together 14 different high schools to collaborate on driving climate awareness into action within their own schools and communities.
This year’s conference wasn’t a lecture series. It was a day designed for doing: educational workshops. a student-activist mixer. a climate action achievement showcase. and a panel with climate professionals representing the office of a state senator. the Environmental Defense Fund and the United Nations.
The conference—and the work of the YCAA—received formal recognition from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for the program’s commitment to sustainability and youth advocacy across NYC and beyond. Sahara Maazel received a Certificate of Recognition signed by Mayor Mamdani.
A large part of that momentum is carried by students who serve as YCAA student ambassadors. They help design and lead high-impact climate action initiatives within their communities, then plug into a network of like-minded peers. The ambassadors meet monthly to collaborate on climate action initiatives. participate in skill-building workshops and networking events. lead sustainability events at their schools. and connect with local organizations and leaders to foster collective action.
The conference itself was entirely student-run, from setting the agenda to moderating panels. Students also kept the schedule running on time and coordinated guests, videographers and food accommodations, with Maazel and Shah at the center of that effort.
One workshop brought the discussion down to practical decision-making. It was led by Laurel Zaima-Sheehy. assistant director of K12 & Continuing Education at the Columbia Climate School; Emma Kyzivat. graduate student program assistant; and Aynsley Kretschmar. from the M.A. in Climate and Society program. The session focused on empowering attendees to identify a diverse set of climate solutions that align with their own community’s vulnerabilities as observed in the U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index.
Students drew connections between how existing community vulnerabilities are exacerbated by climate impacts. then worked together to identify solutions across policy. energy. education. transportation. infrastructure and environmental restoration sectors. By exploring sectors with less obvious opportunities, participants were challenged to broaden their understanding of what constitutes a climate solution. They left the session with a list of local organizations that could serve as models or provide mentorship opportunities to expand school-based climate initiatives.
At the end of the day. the conference concluded with a showcase where student leaders shared posters with their current climate initiatives. The Hewitt School presented its student-led sustainable cafe, which recently piloted reusable mugs. The cafe’s profits go toward improving the cafe and the school’s overall sustainability initiatives.
The Brooklyn Friends School presented on its newly renovated green roof, which serves as a form of flood protection and a communal gathering space for the school.
Shah. one of the founders of the YCAA and a current student at the Chapin School. shared her journey to successfully getting solar panels installed on her apartment building and school. She said the effort required numerous board meeting presentations outlining a cost-benefit analysis and implementation plan.
The alliance didn’t begin as an event—it began as a project. YCAA came about following Maazel’s experience in the Columbia Climate School in the Green Mountains during the summer of 2025. That two-week pre-college program culminates in a climate action project where students develop a climate solution to bring back to their local community.
Maazel’s project focused on climate journalism. But after returning. she realized there were already ample outlets for sharing climate stories—and her school would benefit more from collaborative. hands-on work. She was able to redefine her project’s scope while using a community-centered approach: building a comprehensive full-day agenda. conducting outreach and marketing. and communicating with relevant stakeholders.
In the Green Mountains program. Maazel said her experience “illuminated new avenues for climate action.” Her exposure to professionals and peers throughout the program pushed her toward the bigger step she now leads: “work on this interscholastic initiative and empower others to take greater action for their communities.”.
The success of the inaugural YCAA conference, organizers say, shows the force of youth collective action. What started as one student’s climate action project has evolved into a growing inter-school network of like-minded peers driving real change in their own communities.
If you or your child is a New York City high school student and wants to connect with like-minded students, the group says you can learn more about the YCAA here.
Current YCAA high schools include Avenues The World School. The Chapin School. Berkeley Carroll School. Brooklyn Friends School. The Dalton School. Dwight School. Fordham Preparatory School. Friends Seminary. Grace Church School. Hackley School. The Hewitt School. British International School. The Nightingale-Bamford School. and United Nations International School.
YCAA says it is always looking to grow and collaborate with fellow high school students across the NYC metropolitan area. For those interested in joining, the group says to contact the YCAA team to start a new chapter at a high school and join the network.
For more information about the Columbia Climate School in the Green Mountains program, the organization says to explore its website and FAQs. It also offers a pre-college mailing list to stay updated on summer and academic year offerings, and an email address at learn@climate.columbia.edu.
Applications for summer 2026 are still open. Apply today.
Youth Climate Action Alliance YCAA climate action New York City high schools student ambassadors Columbia Climate School Green Mountains program U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index reusable mugs green roof flood protection solar panels Mayor Zohran Mamdani
Rainy Saturday and they’re doing climate stuff… good for them i guess.
I don’t get why we need a conference for this when kids should just recycle at home. But also like, isn’t NYC already doing enough? Seems like a lot of “awareness” and not enough fixing.
So the mayor recognized it? That’s cool but I’m also like… is this just sponsored by political people? If the UN and Environmental Defense Fund were involved then of course it’s gonna be one sided. I’m all for clean air but I don’t trust that panel.
Chelsea is always packed and now it’s packed with high schoolers doing “workshops” lol. I’m trying to picture what “climate action achievement showcase” even means, like are they showing off solar panels they made in art class? Also, I heard something about a state senator’s office—does that mean taxpayers are paying for it? Would’ve been nice if they did something practical like pushing for lower energy bills instead of just talking.