What is the Alabama Youth Action for Sustainability Summit (AL-YASS)?

The Alabama Youth Action for Sustainability Summit (AL-YASS) is a 2-day educational initiative for youth in Alabama to share their sustainability action projects, learn from each other, professional scientists, and community organizations to enhance their skills and resilience. Alabama YASS is expected to draw 60 youth from across the state to share their environmental citizens science investigations, place-based sustinability interventions, creative self-expression, and more, as they prepare to become resilient community and sustainability advocates and leaders. 

AL-YASS is inspired by many similar efforts around the United States and beyond. This includes: The Wild Center's Youth Climate Program with Youth Climate Summits at over 30+ locations around the world. We have benefited from their resources and Toolkit. We have also been inspired by the Youth Climate Institute from the Howard County Conservancy in Maryland, which we have joined as a Chapter along with a handful of other sites around Alabama. This website was also inspired by the Colorado Youth Climate Summit. 

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Student Resources and Application

Engage in an action project and let's get together to share our lessons learned and ideas for next steps to build a safer, healthier, more sustainable and resilient Alabama for all. 

How can you help your school and/or community move toward sustainability and environmental resiliency? What are some issues you notice and what do you care about? Air pollution and asthma? Reducing plastic waste and trash? Monitoring energy usage and transitioning to renewable resources? Water quality and aquatic biodiversity? Disaster preparedness and flood management? Soil erosion and framing practices? Communicating scientific data about the climate and inspiring others? Other concerns? 

Alabama youth in grades 6th-12th are encouraged to apply to attend the Alabama Youth Action for Sustainability Summit educational experience. To cultivate youth leadership, all student attendees are asked to share something. This can be as simple as a discussion question you would like to know more about from others to as sophisticated as a research poster. Creative expression is also encouraged if you would like to contribute art, a performance, a video, or something else. If you're unsure of what to do, talk to your teacher. 

Please Note

Priority schools are those who have been involved in STEMMing the Tide, Montevallo TRiO, UWA Black Belt STEM Teacher Training, YLACES grant recipients, and Youth Climate Institute Chapters. 

Teachers, Presenters & Volunteers

Thank you for your interest in supporting the Alabama Youth Action for Sustainability Summit! AL-YASS will be successful with the support of teachers, chaperones, workshop presenters, expert speakers, and volunteers. 

Our goal is to cover as many expenses as possible for teachers, presenters, and volunteers. We can provide travel support and stipends may be provided, pending our fundraising efforts. More information coming soon. 

Sponsors & Booth Exhibitors

We are seeking sponsors and booth exhibitors. All Sponsor donations will be collected into Foundation accounts at the University of Montevallo and the University of West Alabama. Sponsors at the Gold Level will be guaranteed a booth space. We also expect to have enough space for booths by non-sponsors who are educational and/or non-profit institutions. All booths need to be set up by 9am on Saturday, May 10th. Booths need to be staffed from 10am-4pm. 

Every $1,000 in sponsorship fully supports one student’s participation in AL-YASS, covering everything they need to attend, from travel and lodging to program essentials. Your generosity helps create transformative experiences and cultivates the sustainability leaders of tomorrow. 

Code of Conduct

Coming Soon