Youth Summer Leadership Academy - The Student Experience
Starting on July 7th, 2025, Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action (SVYCA) launched its first 2025 Youth Climate Leadership Academy, a three-week program hosted at the Santa Clara County Office of Education. The Academy brought together 32 high school students and 10 student mentors from over 25 schools across Santa Clara County.
During its 15 program days, academy participants got to participate in 25 workshops, 22 hands-on activities, and two field-trip days. Students engaged with elected officials, explored green infrastructure sites, used biomimicry to design sustainable devices to address real-world climate challenges, and participated in a wide range of hands-on learning experiences. They examined a wide range of climate topics, including Project Drawdown, clean energy solutions, waste reduction, biodiversity, clean air, health impacts of climate change, nature-based solutions, campaigning, designing healthy communities, climate justice, climate action planning, and urban planning.
Field trips included visiting MidPeninsula Regional Open Space’s Cathedral Oaks site and Open Space Authority’s Coyote Valley site to learn about nature-based solutions; Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge to discuss climate change, baylands, and sea level rise; and Sunnyvale City Hall to tour a LEED-certified green building and explore the city’s role in implementing the Sunnyvale Climate Action Playbook.
“I was super impressed at how well run the program was, despite it only being the first year; there was never a boring day when I was there, and every day was filled with activities. The wide range of topics and the amount of speakers that were there was so cool to witness.”
During the last week, participants opted into one of five capstone projects, each focused on key components of organizing the IMPACT Summit on August 9th, 2025. Groups handled Outreach & Social Media, Panelist Questions, Panelist Introductions and Schedules, the Climate Action Toolkit, and Podcasts & Interviews, preparing students to apply their leadership and advocacy skills in a real-world event. Additionally, 91% reported being very confident about organizing community events after completing their IMPACT Summit Capstone projects.
Throughout the program, ten SVYCA leaders as student mentors guided participants in collaborative projects, reflections, and skill-building exercises. Here are some highlights related to their experiences. Clarabelle, Cupertunio team co-lead, on building community: “My favorite part was getting to know people: the early day setup with mentors made me feel more connected to the organization, and lunch games with students!”
Anjuli, co-lead of SMYCA, “I found it really eye-opening the different paths that people took to get to their jobs in climate, which showed me that you don't have to constrict yourself to any one field.“ The Academy successfully introduced 91 % of students to green career options they had not considered before.
“It made me realize how nuanced climate policy was. Since I had most of my information on civics through online research, there were a lot of unsaid nuances that the academy’s speakers and presentations allowed me to know.”
Success by the Numbers
SVYCA conducted a pre- and post-academy survey to measure the Academy’s impact on the 1st cohort’s behavior and attitudes, as well as to assess their understanding of the core topics. The Academy effectively built student skills in public speaking, teamwork, leadership, and civic engagement. Participants reported growth in speaking confidence, with 84% rating themselves very confident post-Academy. Teamwork skills rose to 97% of participants feeling very confident, while leadership confidence increased to 81%.
Communicating with elected officials showed the most significant gain, rising to 81% of students feeling very confident post-Academy. Students' surveys showed that 97% felt confident in their ability to make a difference and take action after they participate in the Academy. Additionally, the majority (85.7%) of Academy participants strongly agree that they better understand how civics and local government relate to climate action. For some, the program sparked concrete plans for local action. As one participant explained, “I want to go to some city council meetings and advocate for better bike lanes in my area. I also want to share the information I've learned with my friends and encourage others to take action.” Others found themselves inspired to think more broadly about the forms their advocacy could take.
“This made me realize that there is so much more I can do. There are countless ways I can help, and my climate advocacy can look different than just a public comment or protest.” - Academy Participant
The Academy left most students feeling empowered and engaged (91%), and 83% noted that their confidence had grown. Throughout the Academy, participants reflected on their personal growth and the skills they gained. One student shared, “The idea that my voice as a youth truly is powerful is something I hope to use shortly. I always knew our voices were valued, but I didn't realize that besides just being as important as adult voices, sometimes our voices are even more important, so we really do hold great power.” Climate Anxiety is always a concern within youth programs, and as such, we directly address it throughout the Academy. Thus 43% of the students reported that they felt a decrease or alleviation of their climate anxiety during the Academy.
The 2025 Youth Leadership Academy not only deepened students’ knowledge of climate science and local issues but also empowered them to lead, advocate, and create tangible impact in their communities. Anjuli, an insight I will carry forward: “Environmental justice and the importance of centering communities directly impacted by climate injustice.” Zoe Hanshew, the Program Coordinator, added, “Working with such passionate youth over these three weeks has made me hopeful for the future. These students are innovative, conscious of environmental injustices, and energized to lead the bold changes needed to address our climate crisis.”
Zoe Henshew
Program Coordinator
“Working with such passionate youth over these three weeks has made me hopeful for the future. These students are innovative, conscious of environmental injustices, and energized to lead the bold changes needed to address our climate crisis.”
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