Vermont 4-H is hosting the YES! Summit on Oct. 16 at the Montpelier Performing Arts Hub. The annual, youth-led event is for young people to explore science, career options, and their connection to the natural world. Participation is free, thanks to generous support from Generac Power Products and from the 4-H State Foundation.
At the day-long summit, students can do hands-on workshops, have action-inspiring discussions, and network with environmental professionals and like-minded peers, and much, much more! Lunch will be provided, and everyone is asked to bring their own water bottle.
Online registration is now open. Each youth participant (grades 9–12) and adult chaperone must register, and school or youth groups attending must have one adult per ten youth ratio. Language- and disability-related accommodation requests should be made as soon as possible.
Event details:
Date: Friday, Oct. 16
Time: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Location: Montpelier Performing Arts Hub, 35 College St, Montpelier, VT 05602
Registration: Online at https://go.uvm.edu/yes
Accessibility: To request language interpretation/translation assistance and/or a disability-related accommodation to participate in this program, please email Accessibility Services at access@uvm.edu and include Liz Kenton at 802-656-7535 or liz.kenton@uvm.edu so we may assist you.
Schedule:
9 a.m. Arrival and Registration
10 a.m. Welcome and Keynote
10:30-10:45 a.m. Energizer Break/Transition
10:45 a.m. Workshop 1
11:30 a.m. Lunch
12:15 p.m. Workshop 2
1:15 p.m. Wrap-Up and Next Steps
2 p.m. Departure
Workshop Descriptions
Chaperones will receive a list of the workshops their students have signed up for. There are six workshop options in the morning and six in the afternoon. Not all workshops repeat.
Morning Workshops
Plant It Forward: The Hidden Partnerships in Your Backyard - The presenter from UVM College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will describe ecological relationships that occur right in our backyards and share real examples from their own research about what's putting these partnerships at risk and why that matters for food webs and biodiversity. Each participant will build and take home their own winter-sown seed starter that can help support native plant and insect relationships in their own outdoor space.
Class, Capitalism, and the Climate Crisis - This workshop will offer a plain language (accessible) presentation and discussion about impacts of the climate crisis on low-income communities, the legacy of climate change, and ideas for equitable solutions. Students will have the opportunity to get involved with 350Vermont's campaign to stop data center expansion into the state through town meeting day resolutions and other efforts in their own communities.
Discovering Plants from Field to Lab - The presenters from the UVM Plant Biology department will introduce their respective research organisms (grasses and alpine plants) and how they are impacted by climate change. Then, students will learn how to use a LI-COR Porometer to analyze plant specimens and will extract DNA from strawberries.
AI: Digital Choices and Environmental Impacts - In this interactive workshop led by a student from St. Johnsbury Academy, participants will explore the hidden water consumption associated with "artificial intelligence” and consider the environmental impacts of our digital choices. Participants will visualize the amount of water used by AI systems using models made from recycled materials in addition to other hands-on activities and thought-provoking discussions.
Watershed Decisions - Workshop participants will role play as members of a community organization to examine simulated water samples, explore local land uses, and create a plan for improving their watershed on a limited budget. For those students who want to keep working for clean water, information will be available about Vermont Rural Water Association's Drinking Water and Wastewater Apprenticeship Program.
Seed to Supper - Led by UVM undergraduate students in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, participants will make a healthy snack together as they discuss how to eat healthier, save money, reduce transportation miles, and support local food systems by growing and cooking food at home.
Afternoon Workshops
AQUA-CLIME Sensors and Circuits - This workshop will showcase Norwich University’s water-quality monitoring project, which collects and analyzes important environmental data. Participants will build circuits and sensors to detect and measure changes in their surroundings.
Discovering Plants from Field to Lab - The presenters from the UVM Plant Biology department will introduce their respective research organisms (grasses and alpine plants) and how they are impacted by climate change. Then, students will learn how to use a LI-COR Porometer to analyze plant specimens and will extract DNA from strawberries.
Documenting Bird Migration with your Nature Journal – Join Audubon Vermont in learning how to use scientific and artistic observation of the birds around us to make sense of their fall migration.
Endangered Bats of Vermont – Franklin County’s Natural Resources Conservation District will present an overview of bats, their ecosystem role and physiology, the impacts of White Nose Syndrome, current conservation efforts in that state, and what you can do to support them. Can you count all the bats leaving a roost in a video from a Vermont bat survey?
Sustain Leadership - Led by Main Street Middle School, this workshop will explore ways to apply sustainability to everyday life. They will teach a short lesson on this and then run a Jeopardy-style trivia game to get creative about using these techniques in different aspects of everyday life.
Sorting it All Out! - Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District staff will take students on an exploration of the world of recycling, trash, and food scraps in schools, and examples of student-led initiatives to optimize proper separation while minimizing waste. This program includes a hands-on exercise in school recyclables/trash separation.
The 2026 YES! Summit planners include Camille Kauffman, Molly McFaun and Liz Kenton from Vermont 4-H, plus the following youth ambassadors: Ayush, Olivia, Hue, Zach, Tiger, Francis, and Cyrus.
