A B O U T U S
by Youth & for Youth
The Bay Area Youth Climate Summit is an entirely youth-led activism network that offers in-depth educational, environmental justice workshops and mobilizes local Bay Area high schoolers to create and implement Climate Action Plans (CAPs) in their communities and schools.
our story!
The Bay Area Youth Climate Summit (BAYCS) was born out of a need for effective virtual activism during the pandemic. Originally created by leaders of Lick-Wilmerding's Environmental Club, they gathered together applications for the inaugural BAYCS Youth Advisory Council of 22 students from 15 Bay Area schools in May of 2020. Over the summer, the Youth Advisory Council worked tirelessly to plan the first ever Bay Area Youth Climate Summit on September 12, 2020. The summit brought together over 280 youth from 88 schools and 14 states for a day of workshops, discussions, and Climate Action Planning.
In 2021, we hosted our second ever Bay Area Youth Climate Summit! This time, the summit consisted of both virtual and in-person sections, one on each day so both local and national or international students could tune in. Our in-person summit was graciously hosted at St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco.
The Bay Area Youth Climate Summit strives to foster a local community of high schoolers that is empowered to both learn deeply about different facets of the climate crisis and take action. If you are an interested young person, we encourage you to join us in the fight for climate justice!
Since September of 2020, we have run monthly workshops on topics ranging from local air quality inequity to Indigenous climate activism, and an Environmental Science Career Expo. Learn more about our workshops here. BAYCS also continued to support students in achieving their Climate Action Plans. You can learn more about these student-led projects on this page. Additionally, BAYCS worked to support community mutual aid efforts in an environmentally friendly way. From December-February, we donated over $15,000 in hygiene kits that included socks, deodorant, menstrual supplies, toothbrushes, and reusable masks to local community fridges in Oakland, Marin, and San Francisco. On April 24, 2021, we hosted the Earth Day Bay Area Youth Climate Summit that focused on two key themes of policy and action, providing a way for youth to engage in tangible action on Earth Day.
by the numbers!
1k+
newsletter subscribers
6k+
total youth engaged
18+
successful CAPs
2.1k+
social media followers
90+
climate-related
workshops
180+
people reached
through CAPs!
meet the team!
Finn is a senior at Marin Academy High School in San Rafael. Since joining BAYCS in 2021, Finn continues to find joy in mobilizing & empowering the Bay Area's next generation of activists to take action. His experience in the climate space encompasses all from climate storytelling—centering community hope + resilience—to environmental justice advocacy.
In addition to Finn’s position at BAYCS, he is the Liaison at his school environmental club, Co-Editor of the student newspaper, and UC intern conducting research on intersectionality & youth behavior toward climate action. He is passionate about the intersections of climate justice, mental health, policy, gender, & queer ecological theory.
Sophie is a senior at Lick-Wilmerding in San Francisco. She loves connecting with nature though hikes, surfing, & camping. She has been passionate about the climate from a young age. Outside of BAYCS, she Co-Leads her school's environmental club, and is working to help start a sunrise hub at her school to take action for the Green New Deal.
Sophie joined BAYCS in 2021 and is excited for the opportunity for continual learning & growth during her time here. In her free time she loves to read, bake, make ceramics & snuggle with her puppy.
Sophie is a senior at Heritage High in Brentwood. She has always loved the environment, starting young obsessed with ocean and climbing trees. When she learned of the impending environmental concerns she knew she needed to get more involved especially within her own community. She felt that the tight knit and successful community of BAYCS folx would be the right place start. Along with BAYCS, she is involved in her school’s climate club as well as taking courses in science so she can hopefully play a larger role in the fight for environmental justice. In her free time she plays waterpolo, swims, and dabbles in photography.
Elise Priesman is a senior at Saint Ignatius College Preparatory. She has been passionate about taking care of animals and the Earth from a young age, which has led to her interest in climate activism. Elise is exceptionally interested in preserving endangered wildlife and fostering a sustainable lifestyle. She loves working with other young individuals who share the same passion for environmental justice!
Elise is a member of her school's green team and in her free time she love to bake, swim, go to the beach, snowboard, and play guitar.
Naomie is a senior at The Nueva School. In her pursuit for climate activism and awareness, she has discovered the importance of grassroots organizations like Climate Citizens’ Lobby and BAYCS—Naomie has been working actively in both organizations since then. Her work also lies in cleantech or cybersecurity firms, where some work consists of scoring companies on sustainability for investors.
At school, Naomie is invested in application programming in relation to climate science, co-leads her school's Divestment Team, and yells at people to SUPPORT THE H.R.2307 BILL!!! If not stressing out about the impending doom lurking behind the climate catastrophe, Naomie can be found playing video games, eating, or burying her head in some sci-fi book or TV show.
Vivian is a senior at George Washington High School in San Francisco. Over almost a year ago, she discovered her passion for climate justice by learning about how the earth is being immensely impacted by global warming. Ever since then, she has taken action to hold fossil fuel corporations accountable, advocating for public transportation and organic (trader Joe’s fanatic!) + local community-centric food systems, educating and encouraging her family and friends to start utilizing eco-friendly methods.
She hopes to continue her contribution for BAYCS with the pursuit to further knowledge on environmental facets amongst individuals of all groups and express her passion for climate justice through education and tangible action.
Cassidy is a senior at Alameda High. From an early age, she learned the importance of environmental preservation, and she has since developed a strong passion for environmental advocacy, particularly in sustainable fashion. She is a current officer in her school’s environmental club, Amplify, where she aids in the transformation process of her city to become more sustainable.
In 2022, she joined BAYCS to contribute with other students like herself to address the climate issues and take the initiate in solving these existing issues in our community. She enjoys drinking matcha lattes, thrifting, listening to music while reading, watching movies and shows in her spare time.
Ariel is a senior at Lick-Wilmerding High School. She is passionate about climate activism, particularly ocean conservation and the intersection of climate change and public health. She loves soccer and enjoys surfing, making art, and watching Studio Ghibli movies.
Jasmine is a senior attending El Camino High School, where she is currently the Junior Class President. She has always been interested in advocacy for climate change from a young age, always participating in local cleanups and up-cycling materials. Her passions also include chemistry, dance, and servant leadership.
Ysabel is a junior at Berkeley High School. Ever since learning about the devastating effects of the climate crisis as a child, Ysabel had been passionate about discovering how she can mitigate it through action. In particular, she’s interested in the climate crisis' effect on ecosystems & habitats.
At school, she’s a member of Berkeley High’s Green Team as well as STEMinists, a school club dedicated to supporting girls in STEM. She is also a writer for Berkeley High’s Newspaper, The Jacket. When not at school, she can be found interning at a wildlife rehabilitation center, chatting with friends, or curled up on the couch with a good book and her dog.
Tara is a junior at Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco. As a kid, she was involved in environmentalism through protests and making public comments and was excited by the idea of making a difference on climate change. She currently co-leads the sustainable fashion club at her school and loves learning about different climate solutions through BAYCS. In her free time Tara enjoys dancing, baking, playing water polo, and running her Etsy shop.
Charlotte is a junior at Lick-Wilmerding High School. At a young age, she has always admired the earth where she spent most of her time outside on nature hikes, swimming and enjoying what nature has to offer. Since learning about environmental issues in middle school, she's grown passionate about climate activism. As a new member of BAYCS, she is excited to learn about new elements about the climate movement. Charlotte enjoys dancing, reading, writing songs, listening to music, and spending time with her friends and family during her free time.
Cece is a senior at St. Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco. Having become passionate about ecological justice early on, she emphasizes the need to treat the climate crisis with urgency. It is especially important to her to foster a sustainable lifestyle, hold corporations accountable, and highlight that environmentalism is intersectional. She is on leadership with SI's Green Team and Arrupe Social Justice Council's Ecological Justice Sub-Committee. Cece enjoys reading and playing softball. She is passionate about the intersection of social justice and psychology.
Edwin is a senior at Piedmont High School. He has been interested in climate activism since his freshman year of high school and joined Green Club in his sophomore year. Currently, he is one of the co-presidents of his Green Club at Piedmont High School and is working on a project promoting pollinator population.
McKinley is a junior at Abraham Lincoln High School. From a young age she’s loved everything outdoors, from hiking through California’s coastal forests to swimming in our beautiful ocean. Apart from these hobbies, she also loves fashion. Fast fashion is one of her main concerns and she does her part by running her own business where she recycles old clothes on a resale app called depop.
Apart from selling her own clothes, her personal closet is made up primarily of second hand clothing and she partakes in other activities to lower her carbon footprint such as using reusable containers and maintaining a sustainable diet. She is fairly new to climate activism but in the past year she has involved herself in multiple school based environmental programs such as a green pathway and school clubs such as Youth vs. Apocalypse and Bake for Charity. Currently, she is interested in expanding her involvement in the climate movement and knows BAYCS will be the perfect fit!
Emily is a junior at Menlo Atherton High School, and has always been interested in finding ways to help out the climate. She is passionate about finding ways to reverse the effects to climate change and create a more sustainable way of living. She loves spending time in nature, and wants to make sure it will still be there for future generations! She is specifically interested in marine ecosystems and wildlife. Other than climate activism, Emily likes playing music, rowing, baking, and going on biking adventures. She is just getting into organized activism, but is excited to make an impact with BAYCS!
Royal is a junior at Abraham Lincoln high school and has been interested in environmental sciences, climate, & environmental activism from a young age. Early on, she was able to discover her passion for environmental science through girl scouts, which she is still a part of to this day. In high school, Royal began to get more involved in climate activism through school clubs such as Youth vs. Apocalypse, where she dedicates extra time to working on the YvA newsletter.
Some things Royal has done to maintain a relationship of reciprocity with the Earth, includes shopping at sustainable stores/markets and maintaining a vegetarian diet. Royal also has a very strong passion for youth activism; she finds it very important to amplify youth outlets to speak up and share their stories. She loves to work with new people and hear everyone's stories so she is very excited to be a part of the team!
Mayen is a junior at
Lick-Wilmerding High School. She is passionate about climate justice and its intersection with other forms of oppression like classism and racism. She also enjoys baking, running, and listening to music.
Kimia is a junior at the Urban School of San Fransisco and a student at the Mountain School of Milton Academy. At the Urban School, she is involved with their school newspaper as well as the Middle Eastern North African affinity group. During her time at BAYCS, she is interested in the intersection of her Iranian identity and the climate crisis, as the Middle East is one of the regions most vulnerable to global warming. During her free time, she enjoys knitting, water coloring, and going on walks with her dog.
Aishani is a junior at Design Tech High School and is very passionate about climate education. She started her own podcast called The Climate Career Kit to help other high school students learn more about different climate careers. She is also the president of the Model UN team at her school.
Timothy is a junior at Summit Shasta High School and is the co-president of the Shasta Environmental Club which leads the zero waste efforts at his school. He also petitions to his school about climate problems concerning his school. Timothy is passionate in preserving the native ecosystems and has volunteered to nurture native plants and remove invasive plants for many years.
Ella is a sophomore at the Nueva School. She has been very passionate about sustainable living, focusing on food and packaging waste. She enjoys being able to educate and work with others on climate issues. In her free time, she loves to spend time with friends, bake, and explore different creative crafts.
Juliana is a junior at Lick-Wilmerding High school and co-leads the Enviro-Club at her school. She grew up loving nature and its opportunities for exploration, and when she learned about the climate crisis, she became very passionate about protecting wildlife and about preventing the continued emission of greenhouse gasses from massive corporations. She is very excited to work with people her age and to have the opportunity to take action and make an impact on the community. During her free time, she enjoys singing, reading, creative writing, going on daily walks, and spending time with friends and family.
Caroline is a freshman at Marin Academy. She is very interested in climate change and how it affects marine life and conservation efforts. Being part of BAYCS, she is excited to grow as an environmental activist and connect with her community about climate issues.
Camille is a freshman at the Nueva School and is very interested in environmental issues and is super excited to be working with BAYCS. She has an interest in climate justice and health as well as climate medicine and activism.
partners
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featured
alumni
Meet the alumni of the Bay Area Youth Climate Summit team!
Lick-Wilmerding High School '22
Amelia Fortgang
Amelia Fortgang is the founder and former chair of the Bay Area Youth Climate Summit (2020-2022). She absolutely loved her time with BAYCS, whether planning workshops, speaking at climate strikes, or meeting like-minded friends from other schools. She graduated from Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco and now attends Yale University, double majoring in environmental studies and political science. Amelia continues to work with EarthEcho International, serving on their Youth Leadership Council and formerly working with their water challenge. In her free time, she loves to create climate advocacy-related prints and go on hikes around the Bay Area or New Haven. She still works with BAYCS as an advisor, and she can’t wait to see where the new leadership will take the organization! (last updated June 2023)
Lick-Wilmerding High School '23
Natalie Heller
Natalie Heller is the former co-chair of BAYCS (2022-2023). While at BAYCS, she loved learning, growing, and meeting other passionate youth, making lifelong friends. She began her time at BAYCS on the original youth council for the virtual summit in 2020 and then soon found herself loving the team and Sunday meetings. She became co-chair in 2022 as she led BAYCS to become a fiscal nonprofit and was featured in 2 US Department of State films for international countries on climate change and resilience. Natalie is graduating Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco and is headed to George Washington University in D.C. She plans to double major in Environmental Studies and International Affairs and minor in sustainability with a concentration in food sustainability. Natalie continues to be outdoors: hiking, snorkeling, diving, camping, and backpacking. She is excited to see where BAYCS is headed in the future! (last updated June 2023)
Berkeley High School '23
Emily Lao
Emily joined BAYCS at its start in 2020, and was involved until she graduated. From being a newbie to becoming a co-chair in her last year, BAYCS has been one of her favorite experiences in high school and she’s made some of her closest friends through the team. Alongside BAYCS, she also helped lead her school’s robotics team and environmental club. Emily will be attending UC Santa Barbara next year to study computer science. She hopes to apply a future computer science degree to the field of environmental action and continue her activism in climate change through the lens of engineering.
Alameda High School '23
Alyssa Goldfield
At BAYCS, Alyssa Goldfield was a co-chair as well as a lead of the newsletter team. After joining in 2020, she continued to work with the team, meeting some of her best friends, and learning to navigate challenges with them. While at BAYCS, she helped create over 30 newsletters, organize 4 major BAYCS events, and several workshops, and spoke at 3 climate strikes. After high school, she is attending UC Davis to study Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning with a minor or double major in economics. She hopes to move to Washington DC and work with Congress to craft environmental legislation that may propel our country toward a healthier and brighter future. (last updated June 2023)
Lick-Wilmerding High School '23
Bruno Kai Ong
Bruno Kai Ong was a co-chair of BAYCS and led the workshops and partnerships team. He loved the team community and enjoyed organizing and hosting a variety of action-oriented events. In addition to BAYCS, Bruno served as his school’s first Environmental Chair, where he led initiatives to reduce energy usage, reduce food waste, and divest. Next fall, he’ll be attending Yale University. (last updated June 2023)
Urban School '23
Amelia Hayward
Amelia Hayward was a member of BAYCS and worked with the team to plan workshops focused on sustainable urban gardening and composting practices. She was a former senior at the Urban School of San Francisco and was part of Urban’s Green Team. Some of her favorite pastimes are backpacking, climbing, and beach walks with her dog. Through BAYCS, she learned a lot about outreach, activism, and how to use her voice in the climate crisis. Next year she will be attending Middlebury College where she plans to major in Environmental Studies and potentially minor in Geology. (last updated June 2023)
Alameda High School '23
Dhalia Kishnan
With BAYCS, Dhalia was a co-lead of the Social Media team. They enjoyed being part of BAYCS as they were able to discover their passion for climate justice. Next year, they will be attending UC Santa Cruz and plan to major in Environmental Studies with a minor in Music.
Jesse Bethel High School '23
Aliyah Miller
While involved with BAYCS, Aliyah was part of the workshop team, which demonstrated her dedication and leadership. Next year, she will be attending UC Santa Barbra where she will major in Computer Science.
Galileo High School '23
Lena Huang
Lena has been a member of the workshop and partnerships teams since 2020. During her time with BAYCS, she led numerous projects with partnering organizations. Next year, she will be attending UC Berkeley where she will major in Molecular Environmental Biology and minor in Environmental Science and Policy.
Lick-Wilmerding High School '22
Erika Tam
Erika will be a first-year at UC Berkeley studying Molecular Environmental Biology, hopefully with a focus in Food Studies or Environmental Economics! She plans to continue playing tennis, going on nature walks, and discovering good food in Berkeley. Recently, she has been really interested in researching sustainable capitalism and community gardens! In the fall she will be working for Forest and Flour’s farmers market bakery, so come visit, and if you have questions about Berkeley or college at all feel free to reach out! (last updated June 2022)
San Domenico High School '22
Oona Clark
Oona will be starting their bachelor's degree in Climate Science at the Oregon State University Honors College starting in September of 2022. They plan on getting involved with different environmental organizations up in Oregon, and getting outdoors to enjoy the gorgeous landscape. At BAYCS, Oona was one of the original team members who worked on the logistics and workshops team to plan the very first climate summit in September 2020. They also enjoy political activism and were the President of San Domenico's JSA club their senior year. In their free time, Oona is a classical musician and loves to read. (last updated June 2022)
Lowell High School '21
Christy Vong
Christy is currently a student at UC Davis pursuing a bachelor's degree in Community and Regional Development. One area of sustainability that Christy likes to work on is waste recovery and they are currently volunteering with the Food Recovery Network at UC Davis and the Davis Night Market to recover and distribute extra food to people in the community. Christy has also been engaged in a research project learning more about AAPI farmers with the Asian American Studies department and is passionate about supporting equitable food systems. (last updated June 2022)
St. Ignatius '22
Dory Miller
Dory is an incoming freshman at UC Berkeley, where she plans to pursue Legal Studies and Society in the Environment. In addition to her wonderful experience as the Social Media Co-Lead for BAYCS, she was the president of her school’s Green Team (@sigreenteam) and the Ecological Justice chair for her school’s social justice council. She is the co-founder and co-host of a podcast called “She’s Up Next” (@shesupnextpodcast) that amplifies the voices of other activists and plans to continue recording into college in the hopes of expanding their pool of listeners. Dory is ecstatic to be attending Berkeley and gaining an even wider network of activists, but she also cannot wait to continue helping out with BAYCS when she can! (last updated June 2022)
George Washington High School '21
Mary Mangubat
After graduating high school, Mary decided to study environmental science at Humboldt State University (now California Polytechnic State University, Humboldt) with a concentration in planning and policy. She also has recently declared her minor in sustainable food systems! She spent her first year at college exploring her interests and curiosities that the field of environmental science had to offer, specifically spending her time volunteering at community farms and learning about food sovereignty. As she enters her second year of college, she's looking forward to all the exciting events she will soon be hosting as an environmental educator at Humboldt’s social justice and equity center. (last updated June 2022)