YESS Is an example of my commitment to activating social and emotional awareness in young people as activists and stewards, by bringing diverse organizations together to support that work. In 2018, when my own immediate community in Woodstock, NY was threatened by illegal toxic dumping, I was galvanized by a handful of students who began to speak out at Town Hall meetings. This led to my bringing the idea of organizing a global youth climate summit to my colleague Dan Shornstein, at the Ashokan Environmental Center. The first Summit was held in late February with 24 schools, six of which were from the UK and Sweden, just before the world shut down in March of 2018. The second, YES Summit took place February 2023, with 26 schools meeting over three days with 75 high and middle school students and their teachers.