MDI Youth Science and Climate Education Symposium

Isidora Muñoz

What happens when young people are given the opportunity to share their ideas, connect with scientists, and learn from one another? On May 29, more than 150 students from across Mount Desert Island came together at the MDI Biological Laboratory for the MDI Youth Science and Climate Education Symposium: a youth-led event celebrating curiosity, community, and climate action.

The symposium brought together middle school students, teachers, university partners, and local environmental organizations to showcase research and projects focused on climate change, environmental stewardship, and STEM learning. Rather than simply learning about science in the classroom, students became the scientists. They presented their own work, asking thoughtful questions, and engaging with peers who share a passion for protecting Maine's communities and ecosystems.

Some of the highlights of the day: 

• 33 8th grade students from the Conners Emerson School in Bar Harbor brought and presented their smart greenhouses project, where they programmed lights and temperature to aid in discovering the effects of different concentrations of water contaminants on duckweed. 

• 38 7th and 8th graders at the Tremont Consolidated School shared powerpoint presentations documenting their experiences restoring the salt marsh behind the school, growing seaweed to be used in school lunches, and creating a school-wide energy audit in which they shared their findings on the school’s energy use with school board members and town officials.

• The youngest presenters were 28 students from the Conners Emerson 5th grade class who created projects focused on scientific inquiry and shared their research, data, and conclusions with their peers at the event.

• 7 7th graders from Trenton Elementary presented their projects based on photosynthesis.

• College of the Atlantic senior student Tyler Hebert introduced a vibrant Energy Trivia to help everyone learn new facts about how our energy works in technology, in transportation and even in our homes!

By presenting their research in a supportive, intergenerational setting, students practiced public speaking, built confidence, and discovered that science is something they can actively shape, not just study.

The symposium also strengthened connections across the island. Students had the chance to meet other youth doing similar work as well as connect with climate initiatives, like the Green Schools Network. These relationships help bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world action, showing youth that meaningful careers and community leadership in science are possible right here in rural Maine.

This event was made possible thanks to the collaboration between Mount Desert Island Regional School System science teachers, Healthy Acadia, JustME for JustUS, and the MDI Biological Laboratory. Together, these partners created a space where youth voices were not only welcomed but celebrated!

For JustME for JustUS, the symposium showcases a simple but powerful belief: when young people are trusted with meaningful opportunities to lead, they rise to the challenge.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this day possible, from educators and volunteers to community partners, supporters and especially, all participants.