Now that the fall is almost in full swing here in NYC and Solar One’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) applications have opened, it seems fitting to run through and appreciate what the 2024 YAC cohort was able to accomplish! Split into two parts – the YAC itself and its Summer extension – YAC members have the opportunity to design climate projects and engage in collaborative leadership with their fellow members. If you are a high school student interested in participating in the 2025 YAC, don’t shy away from applying here, by November 3rd, 2025!
From January to September of 2024, Solar One’s YAC – composed of seven NYC-based high school students passionate about climate changemaking – worked hard to complete a plethora of projects designed to fill in the gaps and improve other Solar One programs for the 2025 season. Namely, during the spring season, members collaborated on a new NYC climate curriculum: it included 9 lessons, interactive activities, slideshows, facilitator notes, and thoughtful discussions designed to clear up common misconceptions about climate change and educate students about ways to take climate action in their communities. From mitigation banking to data literacy to the differences between communal and individual climate action, their curriculum is really something new and innovative that is already being implemented into schools and programs around the city.
Over the summer, the cohort expanded their reach even farther, taking on the challenge of completing four projects rather than only one. First, they used the curriculum development skills that they gained during the spring semester to build a new curriculum and virtual environment for Solar One’s CareerSTEP program, another youth program centered around work-based learning and leading high school students to sustainability industry internships. They also worked to implement their spring curriculum into more schools, and held two sessions at the Pan American International High School, creating adaptations of their lessons for English language learners. As if that wasn’t enough, the Summer YAC created several new resources such as a calendar, useful templates, a set of values, and an overhauled application form to be used in the YAC ‘25 season, all based around the successes and shortcomings that they found in their experience (which was, after all, the pilot of the program).
The fourth and longest-lasting project taken on by the YAC was the organization of a climate career fair for high school students, designed to highlight the unique and often overlooked intersections between climate work and other fields like art, economics, engineering, etc. In organizing the fair, members had to reach out to several dozens of organizations and professionals, hold their own meetings with representatives of these organizations, and even attend the Columbia Climate School Sustainability Capstones Briefing to find people who would be interested in participating. However, due to scheduling conflicts and lack of time, the climate fair did not materialize. Without giving up, YAC members pivoted to a tabling event, and after months of planning, YAC members Shahi and Anthony represented Solar One at Street Works Earth, an event organized by Make Justice Normal designed to highlight climate action through creativity, art, and engineering.
Throughout these past nine months, the YAC went above and beyond to put these projects together, and Solar One is extremely excited to see what the new 2025 cohort brings to the table! If you are a high school student in New York City interested in being a council member, sign up using this link!
Written by YAC Member, Anthony Russo