By IOF student, Natasha Bhatia Hello all from Dubai! Today was the last day for all of us at the COP28 conference, and so it was the final day in the Blue Zone for Maia, Kate, Danica, and myself. We had a chaotic but amazing last day, and I’ll share highlights from our day below! […]
COP28 Youth Dispatch: Danica Sun
The youth at the senate staff meeting getting together for a group pic featuring a few of the senate staffers as well. Pre-Trigg Talley Meeting Tasha & I were featured on the Children & Youth Pavilion Instagram! Youth at the climate education mixer participating in our social media campaign Climate Anxiety Panel! By IOF student, […]
COP28 Youth Dispatch: Katie Stabb
By IOF student, Katie Stabb For me, the best part of the whirlwind that is COP28 has been talking to anyone I can, because everyone is so passionate about climate and about what they do. This morning we attended a negotiation – SBI Agenda Item 19, Matters Relating to Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE). They […]
COP28 Youth Dispatch: Avery Smith
By IOF student, Avery Smith Today was even more eventful – and tiring – than yesterday. Interviews alone were fascinating, between the elder of Canadian first nations tribe to the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, to a climate finance researcher from India, to a protesting Pikachu! The highlight of my day, however, […]
COP28 Youth Dispatch: Kate Wallace
By IOF student, Kate Wallace Greetings from Dubai! After almost 24 hours of travel, we made it to the United Arab Emirates and woke up bright and early this morning to embark on our first day of COP 28. On our drive to the venue we rode through open desert – a scene quickly replaced […]
Meet the High School Students Traveling ...
Six Chicago area high school students are headed to Dubai this fall for this year’s UN Climate Summit, COP28. They are all members of It’s Our Future (IOF), SGA’s youth environmental advocacy program, and are engaged in numerous other environmental advocacy projects. Two of our students, Danica and Natasha, met through IOF and then formed […]
It’s Our Future Supports Climate Advocac
Photo courtesy of E-town Sunrise Facebook page By Milo Slevin, ETHS student As youth climate advocates, our connections with other young people are an important way for us to create greater impact. It’s Our Future (IOF), a youth-driven program that empowers Chicago area high school students to advocate for just climate solutions in their schools […]
COP27 Reflection: The Importance of Joy ...
COP27 youth delegate and Chicago Public School teacher, Greta Kringle (left) and IOF program consultant Rachel Rosner (right) finding a joyful moment at COP. By Rachel Rosner, IOF Program Consultant In a time of darkness, you don’t curse the darkness, you light a candle. -Al Gore As I reflect on our time in Sharm el Sheikh […]
COP27 Youth Dispatch: Change is Hard. Ch...
By Emmet Ebels Duggan, IOF Youth Delegate For those that attended the livestream, I confess that this dispatch is very similar to what I presented. The reasons for this include 1) this really is a good summary of my main takeaways from the week and 2) I’m way too tired to write something original right […]
COP27 Youth Dispatch: For the People, no...
Manolo Avalos, IOF Youth Delegate, with climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe. By Manolo Avalos, IOF Youth Delegate There seems to be this excitement in the room everywhere I go at COP 27 – even on the shuttle buses. I love hearing the many different languages, seeing everyone connecting and feeling the passion about climate change. […]