Harvard Chan C-CHANGE Youth Summit
On Climate, Equity, & Health
Dive into issues of climate change, equity, and public health alongside peers, educators, and leading professionals from the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Harvard Chan C-CHANGE). Choose an Action Focus based on your interests and explore how climate change is intertwined with public health, medicine, social justice, equity, economics, and policy. Gain perspective from scientists, health practitioners, policymakers, youth activists, climate creatives, and clean energy innovators at the forefront of tackling the climate crisis. Take what you have learned and transform your ideas into a Community Action Plan, and return home ready to address these issues in your own community.
This program was developed thanks to the support of Gina McCarthy, the former National Climate Adviser in the Biden-Harris Administration and former Director of Harvard Chan C-CHANGE.
- Highlights
• Join workshops with climate influencers and engage with guest speakers
• Explore your Action Focus in depth through field trips and excursions around Boston
• Visit the Boston Museum of Science and Harvard’s campus museums
Choose an Action Focus
Each student chooses an Action Focus based on their interests—Climate Communications, Press, & Media; Climate Science; Entrepreneurship, Industry, & Technology; Environmental Justice; Global Health, Epidemiology, & Infectious Disease; Medicine & Healthcare; or Policy & Advocacy. This Action Focus acts as the lens through which students view the challenges of climate change and public health.
What to Expect
Review specific program expectations here. For more general information:
Learn from experts at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, as well as policymakers, academics, and scientists working in fields related to climate change and public health. Participate in workshops, attend lectures, and take advantage of all Boston has to offer.
Gain inspiration from the experiences and perspectives of the Director of Harvard Chan C-CHANGE, Harvard professors, former and current policymakers, journalists, advocates, and clean energy innovators.
Develop a Community Action Plan based on your interests and round out the program with a presentation to your peers, sharing your vision for practical action to make lasting change when you return home.
Attain critical climate change and public health content knowledge.
Develop a Community Action Plan that can be implemented in your school or town, or inspire your life path.
Grow a network of peers and youth leaders to continue the work started at the summit.
In addition to thematic program activities, students have the opportunity to explore all the culture, history, and cuisine that Boston, Cambridge, and Harvard have to offer, from the Boston Common and the North End to the Harvard science museums and Harvard Yard. Stroll the streets of Harvard Square, kayak the Charles River, or play frisbee on the Harvard Medical School quad.
Become part of a community of high school students and instructors with diverse interests and a shared passion for implementing climate solutions. Students hail from across the U.S. and around the world, creating a vibrant and dynamic community of motivated, driven individuals, each bringing a unique perspective and life experience.
Students and residential instructors reside in a traditional residence hall at Simmons University, a short walk from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Rooms are singles, doubles, and triples, and are assigned by age; genders are separated by floor; and staff reside on the same floors as students. Residence halls have 24-hour front desk security, high-speed wifi, air conditioning, and on-site laundry facilities.
What to Expect
Review specific program expectations here. For more general information:
Learn from experts at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, as well as policymakers, academics, and scientists working in fields related to climate change and public health. Participate in workshops, attend lectures, and take advantage of all Boston has to offer.
Gain inspiration from the experiences and perspectives of the Director of Harvard Chan C-CHANGE, Harvard professors, former and current policymakers, journalists, advocates, and clean energy innovators.
Develop a Community Action Plan based on your interests and round out the program with a presentation to your peers, sharing your vision for practical action to make lasting change when you return home.
Attain critical climate change and public health content knowledge.
Develop a Community Action Plan that can be implemented in your school or town, or inspire your life path.
Grow a network of peers and youth leaders to continue the work started at the summit.
In addition to thematic program activities, students have the opportunity to explore all the culture, history, and cuisine that Boston, Cambridge, and Harvard have to offer, from the Boston Common and the North End to the Harvard science museums and Harvard Yard. Stroll the streets of Harvard Square, kayak the Charles River, or play frisbee on the Harvard Medical School quad.
Become part of a community of high school students and instructors with diverse interests and a shared passion for implementing climate solutions. Students hail from across the U.S. and around the world, creating a vibrant and dynamic community of motivated, driven individuals, each bringing a unique perspective and life experience.
Students and residential instructors reside in a traditional residence hall at Simmons University, a short walk from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Rooms are singles, doubles, and triples, and are assigned by age; genders are separated by floor; and staff reside on the same floors as students. Residence halls have 24-hour front desk security, high-speed wifi, air conditioning, and on-site laundry facilities.
Guest Speakers
Guest lecturers bring to the program diverse backgrounds with high-level, real-world experiences and insights. Each speaker structures their lecture to relate to the various Action Focuses and their area of expertise. For example, an expert in air quality and pulmonary disease might discuss how air quality is directly linked to climate change and how communities of color in urban areas are the most affected by pollution and a lack of access to healthcare. They might expand on how health issues stemming from poor environmental health can be addressed in a local community, on a global scale, or through policy changes that will have a direct impact on the future spread of infectious disease. Meet last year’s speakers below.
Program Structure
Each day features a combination of Action Focus seminars, hands-on activities, excursions, and guest speaker events with the entire program community. After breakfast, depending on the day, Action Focus learning may start in classrooms and meeting spaces on campus, or students and instructors may travel to a nearby site for field-based learning before meeting with a guest speaker. After lunch, Action Focus seminars continue.
Afternoons and evenings offer opportunities to explore Boston, participate in group activities, or work on independent projects. After dinner, students and instructors from all Action Focus groups convene for evening activities. On the final two days of the program, students focus on their Community Action Plan, which they present on the final day.
- Morning
- Afternoon
- Evening
Program Structure
Each day features a combination of Action Focus seminars, hands-on activities, excursions, and guest speaker events with the entire program community. After breakfast, depending on the day, Action Focus learning may start in classrooms and meeting spaces on campus, or students and instructors may travel to a nearby site for field-based learning before meeting with a guest speaker. After lunch, Action Focus seminars continue.
Afternoons and evenings offer opportunities to explore Boston, participate in group activities, or work on independent projects. After dinner, students and instructors from all Action Focus groups convene for evening activities. On the final two days of the program, students focus on their Community Action Plan, which they present on the final day.
- Morning
- Afternoon
- Evening
Instructors
Our Pre-College instructors are accomplished academically and professionally. They bring to each seminar deep content knowledge and experience in their field, as well as enthusiasm for their subjects, a passion for teaching, and a proven capacity to connect with and inspire students. They are dedicated and caring individuals who also live in dormitories with students, sharing in their lives and fully participating in extracurricular activities.
Instructors
Our Pre-College instructors are accomplished academically and professionally. They bring to each seminar deep content knowledge and experience in their field, as well as enthusiasm for their subjects, a passion for teaching, and a proven capacity to connect with and inspire students. They are dedicated and caring individuals who also live in dormitories with students, sharing in their lives and fully participating in extracurricular activities.
“I’m constantly inspired by the young people whose creativity and passion have led the climate movement forward to where it is today. They understand better than anyone what’s at stake for health with climate change and know that we must have strong public health systems to meet the challenges we face. Our goal is to equip students with the science and communications skills they need to put their passion into practice, so they can make their communities healthier and stronger.”
— Dr. Aaron Bernstein, Interim Director, Harvard Chan C-CHANGE
Alumni in the News
From lobbying local selectboards to developing sustainable agriculture plans, Youth Summit alumni come away from the program with actionable plans that can be implemented in their home communities. Here are just a few of our Summit alumni in the news.
Scholarships
Full and partial need-based scholarships will be available for the 2025 Harvard Chan C-CHANGE Youth Summit on Climate, Equity, & Health. The scholarships provide opportunities for underrepresented students to become the next generation of climate and public health leaders.
How to Apply for a Scholarship
To be considered for a scholarship, candidates must meet eligibility criteria and complete an application. For more information and to access application materials, please visit the Harvard Chan C-CHANGE Youth Scholarship Opportunities page.
This program is directed by
Julian Hartmann-Russell
Putney Student Travel
Director
Skye Flanigan
Programs Director
Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
