Register: https://tinyurl.com/585hcv2u
About the event
Join Start: Empowerment during NY Climate Week for the Walton Campus / SYEP Climate Week Showcase, where Bronx youth are leading the way in building climate resilience and food justice in their own community.
In Bronx Community District 5—an area with some of the city’s lowest access to green space and highest climate vulnerability—students are transforming their school courtyards into a living hub for urban agriculture, arts, and climate justice education. Through the Walton Campus Urban Agriculture Program, powered by Start:Empowerment and the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), young people are reclaiming 5,000 square feet of underused space as a model for school-based environmental transformation.
What to Expect:
🌿Guided Tour: Walk through the 5,000 sq ft garden with Bronx youth leaders and Start:Empowerment staff, exploring the multi-year process, student stories, and design visions that brought this project to life.
🎶Living Soundscape: Experience music created by plants themselves, blending art, science, and ecology into an immersive climate education experience.
🥗Community Gathering & Mixer: Close the event with a low-waste, vegetarian food spread that reflects our commitment to sustainability and care.
Accessibility & Care:
The event will include simultaneous Spanish translation, masks, and air purifiers in the main gathering spaces to ensure accountability, safety, and accessibility for all attendees.
Rooted in Community
S:E’s Climate Convergence is, and always has been, a free, youth-led and community-driven event for youth, families, and educators—with free food, activities, and more. Everyone is welcome—no payment required. But that also means every year, we begin with a $0 budget.
This year, for the first time, S:E is inviting their broader community to help sustain this work and compensate the incredible people who make the event possible—with support:
🎨 Stipends for Youth Leaders – BIPOC students from the Walton Campus working after school hours to set up and guide the event.
🌱 Support for Our BIPOC-Led NYC Hub Team – Sustaining the leadership of our team of educators, garden specialists, and organizers who make this vision possible, oversee all aspects of the garden, and mentor BIPOC youth
🗣️ Community Translators – Honoring those who ensure multilingual access, making the event inclusive for all and challenging the exclusionary nature of English-only spaces.
🥘 Food for All – Shared meals are at the heart of the Climate Convergence. We’ve always made sure there’s enough for everyone—whether you RSVP’d, joined from across the street, or are an unhoused neighbor who just needs a plate.
Suggested donations are completely optional, and all funds raised through sliding-scale contributions will go directly toward supporting these costs. We're committed to transparency and will share a cost breakdown after the Climate Convergence.
Support, whether through participation or contribution, helps sustain this powerful space for learning, joy, and action. Thank you for being part of it! 💚
To prioritize community safety, S:E is sharing the location only with those who RSVP.