In early December, youth gathered at the state capitol for the Climate Future Forum, organized by Debbie Millikan, Punahou’s Director of Sustainability.
The daylong event brought together 40 students from 17 schools, spanning public, private and higher education. These students collaborated with policymakers to assess climate priorities and plan their involvement in the 2024 legislative session.
The forum featured keynote speeches, working groups and networking opportunities, with the participation of lawmakers, including Rep. Jill Tokuda, who delivered speeches and video messages. Lawmakers and students worked together to prioritize climate policies. The day concluded with presentations of legislative priorities and climate storytelling workshops.
The Climate Future Forum aimed to empower youth in policymaking, allowing their voices to be heard and fostering connections with policymakers to encourage active participation in future legislative sessions.
Already, the students are having an impact. Recently, Reina Gammarino ’24 and a student from another school helped brief Senator Gabbard on climate information via Zoom.
