Group Expectations

What to bring to the Summit:

• Note taking materials (i.e. notebook & pen, computer, tablet, or phone)
• Camera or smartphone to document Summit experience*
• Reusable water bottle
• Warm clothing layers & winter shoes (some workshops will be outside)
• Optional: pocket money to shop at The Wild Center gift shop
• Optional: t-shirt, bandana, or tote to screen print a summit design!

At The Summit:

1. Full attendance on BOTH DAYS of the Summit. Please contact Wild Center staff if your group needs to make alternative plans.
2. Once the agenda is released, determine who in your team will attend which workshops (we encourage team members to split up and attend different workshops).
3. Work together on Day 2 to develop a Climate Action Plan to bring back to your school/ community.

*Cell Phone Use at the Summit:

We recognize that NYS schools have instituted a statewide ban on cell phone use during the school day. However, at the summit there will be opportunities for students to appropriately use their cell phones. Here are some community agreements around phone use that we will share during the event:

1. Be Present, Be Engaged

• We agree to minimize phone use during workshops, speakers, and group activities to fully engage with the experience and with one another.

• Silence phones (or set to vibrate) during all sessions out of respect for presenters and fellow participants.

2. Respect the Space and the Moment

• If you want to capture a moment (photo or quote), ask for permission first—just like you’d want someone to ask you.

3. Social Media with Purpose

• Feel free to post about your experience using the conference hashtag [#AYCS2025], but always ask for consent before posting others' faces. We also encourage you to tag the wild center (@wildcenter) and our Climate Program (@youthclimate) in your posts!

4. Call-In Over Call-Out

• If someone’s phone use is distracting or out of alignment with the group agreements, kindly remind them. We're all here to support one another in being present.

Ultimately, we will leave it up to teachers/ adult chaperones to decide whether to allow cell phone use for their group at the summit.

Post-Summit:

1. Take some time to reflect on your experience at the Summit & rest after 2 big days!
2. Keep The Wild Center’s Climate Network Manager, Cedar Barg (cbarg@wildcenter.org) updated with your Climate Action Plan progress, needs, etc. on a monthly basis
3. Work hard to successfully implement your Climate Action Plan!