On Saturday, April 1, Ms. Davis and eight other students attended a seminar at USC on Climate Change and Policy Options. The eight students who attended were: Juniors Britney L., Salman G., Natalie U., Ashley S., Aysia F., Jeremy L., and Linda R. and Freshman Nathaniel B. The seminar lasted from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Our day started off with breakfast that included items such as dates, bananas, bagels, Oreos, water, etc. After we registered, we had the opportunity to mingle with other students from different schools. At 8:30 a.m., we were divided up into different groups with students from other schools; this made students, including myself, very nervous because we were in a group with four strangers. The groups were then led to different rooms to start the sessions. In the warm-up session, students and mentors introduced themselves and discussed their rankings on countries’ and states’ efforts to address climate change. After each one of us had shared our rankings, I found myself changing one of my rankings as a result of my group’s findings. After the warm-up session, all the groups were led back to the original room, to be split up into different groups. 

At 9:00 a.m., we listened to a presentation by Dr. Kelly Sanders about mitigation and adaptation strategies and the differences between the two. Dr. Sanders told us a bit about her life and experiences as an environmental engineer. We also shared our rankings with a larger audience. At this time, we asked questions for Ms.Sanders to answer and she clarified any issues we had. When discussing the mitigation and adaptation strategies, each group picked which one they thought was the best. We went through a list of climate action strategies and we discussed whether they were mitigation or adaptation. After the discussion, we had a short break and at 10:30 a.m., our second presentation with Dr. Shannon Gibson began.

Our presentation with Dr. Gibson was about Environmental Justice. Dr. Gibson also spoke about her personal experiences working with the United Nations and about the Paris Agreement. The presentation was followed, like the previous presentation, with group discussions and responses. We gave our insight on the Paris Agreement and its efficiency. After the presentation, the seminar was coming to an end. The seminar ended with one final group discussion on what would be our ultimate goals and next steps in fighting climate change. This final group discussion was facilitated by both Dr. Sanders and Dr. Gibson.

I personally enjoyed the seminar very much; it was the first time I attended a seminar at a university. Junior Natalie U. shared her experience attending the seminar: “ The seminar was an excellent way to connect high school students who are passionate about the environment. It assures me that our planet can be helped with the hands of our youth.”