By Emily Adler, cross posted at the ACE (Alliance for Climate Education) blog
The SF Youth Unity EcoFest was the first-ever youth environmental summit in the City of San Francisco, for high school students, and planned by a group of 10 high school students. The event was co-sponsored by the Mayor’s Office and was a day-long event with music, speakers, performers, workshops, a 25-organization resource fair, an interactive earth pledge and art installation, a bio diesel bus and a skate park.
The stage was pedal powered by Rock the Bike so the sound was made from pure youth energy 
Check out this video from the Fest:
What was most compelling, for me, as the staff supervisor and organizer, was that the 10 youth who planned the event were, for the most part, individuals who are just beginning to identify as part of the youth climate movement.
After a few weeks of trainings and workshops — from workshops on the basics of climate science to the history of environmental imperialism to event planning trainings — they pulled together a day long event that they knew would appeal to their peers who were not yet aware of this growing movement around them.
You can catch more photos of the event here: ACE Flickr
In their effort to meet our three main goals (to celebrate youth voice, raise awareness around issues of environmental justice and climate change, and reconnect diverse communities) they produced an event that spoke to these issues through a medium their peers were attracted to — mainly through music and art.
I was impressed by the dedication of these 10 youth, and excited to see the youth movement open up to include a more diverse community.
