BLM California and Sacramento State Host Fourth Annual Youth Summit
On Friday, February 19 representatives from the Bureau of Land Management California and Sacramento State joined over 400 high school students, partner agencies and organizations for the fourth annual Youth Summit – Lead the Way Outdoors.
Selfie stations at the 2016 Sacramento Youth Summit were a huge hit! BLMer Dana Wilson and FOX40 News Anchor Alisa Becerra even “reported live” from the Merced Wild and Scenic River (bottom left).
"The energy and enthusiasm at this year's youth summit is incredible," said BLM California State Director Jerry Perez. "I am honored to be here to share this experience with the future caretakers of our nation's public lands."
"We are excited to partner once again with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management on this wonderful event," said Sacramento State President Robert S. Nelsen. "It's important to encourage our youth to develop a greater appreciation for the outdoors, and I can't think of a better place to do that than at California’s beautiful capital university."
The summit is designed to connect youth to the outdoors, foster an appreciation and knowledge about the importance of natural resources and expose young people to higher education and career opportunities.
Jose Gonzalez, Founder of Latino Outdoors and this year’s keynote speaker take a selfie with Youth Summit students and Seymour Antelope.
"The opportunity and potential of these youth is shaping the conservation movement," said Jose Gonzalez, Founder of Latino Outdoors and this year’s keynote speaker. "They are the leaders that will continue to make this work more engaging and relevant to diverse communities."
The summit featured a variety of workshops focused around leadership, education and career opportunities in natural resources such as climate change, geology, law enforcement, wildland firefighting and recreation management, to name a few. Not to mention, Youth Summit goers, students and adults alike took the Bioblitz Centennial Dance challenge lead by the California Conservation Corps.
The Bioblitz Centennial Dance got its name from the National Geographic's Bioblitz event and is a celebration of the outdoors in honor of the National Park Service Centennial Anniversary. The Bioblitz Dance has one rule: It must be done outdoors!
The expo also featured more than 20 state and federal agencies, organizations and businesses promoting natural resources and outdoor activities, opportunities and careers including Sacramento State, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Peace Corps, California State Parks, Latino Outdoors, California Conservation Corps, AmeriCorps, Pacific Crest Trail Association, Student Conservation Association, Sierra Club and Bass Pro Shop. The success of this event wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our many partners!
The National Weather Service Sacramento and National Weather Service California Nevada River Forecast Center were at the Youth Summit educating students on weather safety and careers.
For photos of the day's event, visit BLM California’s Flickr. Also, see the social media surrounding this event on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtags #BLMyouth and #cayouth.
Watch the full wrap-up video by BLMer Eric Coulter here:
Follow us today, Nov. 4., as we live blog the 3rd Annual California Youth Summit!
The summit is designed to connect youth to America’s Great Outdoors, foster an appreciation and knowledge about the importance of natural resources, and expose young people to higher education and career opportunities.
CLICK HERE to follow the conversation on Tumblr throughout the day,
And join the live Youth Summit Tweetup on @BLMca #cayouth.
Today launches the 2nd Annual Outdoor Summit for Youth hosted by the BLM and Forest Service! This event is an opportunity for multicultural youth to share and gain experiences in America's Great Outdoors.
Follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr for photos, videos, and posts throughout the day.
Currently youth participants are sharing their stories on how they got involved in the outdoors and how to motivate others!
On Wednesday, October 30, the BLM and Forest Service will be hosting the 2nd Annual Outdoor Summit for Youth. Government agencies, partner organizations, and (most importantly) youth will focus on multicultural experiences and the importance of connecting diverse youth with the outdoors. In addition to a rich and diverse youth panel discussion, breakout sessions, and Expo, participants will explore ways to expand opportunities to better connect young people with the outdoors and the field of natural resources. The Youth Summit will also provide participants the opportunity to celebrate, engage, and leverage what they are already doing and offer a platform to create a stronger and more connected web of partnerships to support young people on public lands.
Participants this year include:
Students from Generation Green, an award-winning k-12 program that connects diverse youth from underserved communities to natural resources through providing environmental education, employment, and leadership opportunities.
Students from Grant Union High School's GEO Academy, which offers college bound 9th-12th grade students outdoor learning and hands-on experiences in environmental horticulture, landscape architectural design, habitat restoration, “green” business, and environmental science monitoring.
Follow along with the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram using the hashtag #CAyouth. The summit runs from 8:00am-3:30pm PT.
To get a read out of last year's event, visit http://mypubliclands.tumblr.com/cayouthsummit1 .
