CRETF Youth Steering Commitee

The Youth Steering Committee provides New York high school students with the tools to advocate for their own climate education.

CRETF began convening the YSC in 2020 in recognition that youth are the primary education stakeholders and social change movements have been and continue to be led by youth.

In April, 2026, during Earth Month and Global Youth Service month, CRETF Youth Steering Committee members Lottie, Madelyn, Charlotte and Ava formally launched Advancing Climate Education in Schools (ACES).

ACES brings climate education directly into schools through a peer-to-peer model where high school volunteers teach interactive, hands-on workshops to elementary and middle school students. “Real systemic change needs a whole generation that understands climate science, sees how it connects to their daily lives, and feels capable of doing something about it,” says Lottie, ACES co-founder and winner of a 2026 Green Difference Award from Project Green Schools for her role in advancing ACES.

ACES founders are developing age-appropriate mini-lessons across five themes (Sun, Water, Air, Land, and Human Behavior) covering topics like solar energy, wind energy, fast fashion and water conservation. Each workshop, includes hands-on activities that help abstract concepts make sense. Schools are gifted with books related to each presentation so that learning can continue.

“ACES is designed to last. Today's elementary and middle school students will become tomorrow's high school volunteers, creating a cycle that keeps going.”

ACES is currently in its pilot phase and will be visiting several schools in New York City in 2026. Teachers interested in presentations should contact info@cretf.org. Follow @aces.cretf and @cre_taskforce on Instagram.

The ACES team is grateful to have received seed funding in 2026 from The Learning Planet Youth Design Challenge, Youth Service America & Hershey Company, and the National Society of High School Scholars Foundation Earth Day Scholarship.

Funders interested in supporting ACES should contact holts@nwf.org.

Benefits of the youth steering committee

Our YSC is a community of like-minded high school students who want to advocate for quality climate education for current and future generations of students in New York.

Students learn how to:

Take concrete action to expand access to climate education in NY schools
Work on state-level climate education policy campaigns
Help to build a network of youth dedicated to climate justice education
Communicate with educators, NGOs, policymakers, and other experts in the field

accomplishments

Since 2020, our Youth Steering Committee has achieved →

Successfully advocated for a new K-12 instructional requirement for climate education as part of new high school graduation requirements, beginning in the 2027-28 school year;

Successfully advocated for the inclusion of climate education in the Climate Act's final scoping plan and in NYC’s strategic plan, PlaNYC;
Rallied at the Climate Clock in Union Square to demand funding for climate education;
Organized student-led roundtables, listening sessions and meetings with NYC teachers, staff from the NY State Governor’s office, Mayor’s Office, NYSED, and Board of Regents;
Been featured in media, such as newspaper and magazine articles, podcasts, blogs, and press releases;
Contributed to developing the CRETF vision for climate education;
Analyzed and edited state climate education bills and lobbied in the state capitol, Albany, for the passage of climate education legislation;
Created a toolkit with curated K-12 climate education curriculum resources for students and educators;
Delivered public presentations on interdisciplinary climate education and green, healthy schools;
Formed a youth-led executive board (E-Board).

Meet our

Youth Steering Committee

CRETF helps high school students develop a cohesive and accurate understanding of the climate crisis and climate education policy. The Youth Steering Committee is a youth-led space that empowers students to advocate for their own climate education.