Success At The Sustainability Through Student Voices Conference

The third annual Sustainability Through Student Voices conference took place Saturday, April 14th at The Town School in New York City. This conference is unique in that it is the result of a year-long close collaboration between students and teachers.

It is designed to empower students, teachers, administrators, and parents to implement systemic changes around the critical issues of sustainability. We feel strongly that It is the power of our collective voices that will enable us to take the actions necessary to secure a sustainable future for our communities and our planet. 

This year’s conference was attended by almost 150 people representing more than 20 schools.  Attendees found a space for intergenerational discussion to examine the issues of sustainability through a lens of unity rather than divisiveness. We discussed ways to move the conversation past “green”, in order to advocate for those adversely affected by environmental injustice.
More than a dozen different workshops were given that taught skills and strategies that we could take back to our school communities.

The keynote speaker this year was Carl Pope, former executive director of The Sierra Club, who delivered an Inspiring and forward-thinking message. Copies Climate of Hope, written by Mr. Pope and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg were generously donated to everyone who attended the conference.

Many of the schools who registered for this NYSAIS event were members of the Green Schools Alliance, and the Alliance was mentioned frequently in a number of workshops as a valuable resource for school communities wanting to move their sustainability efforts forward.