4-H Youth for Climate Action

Are you a high school student concerned about climate change?

Do you want to make a meaningful difference here in Rockland County?

Join the Rockland County 4-H Youth for Climate Action, where you can enhance your knowledge of the issues, develop leadership skills, and work with your peers to address climate change.

What is the Rockland County 4-H Youth for Climate Action Program?

4-H Youth for Climate Action gives high school students an opportunity to develop skills and knowledge to address climate change in Rockland County. After a series of interactive sessions, trips, and connections with local organizations, members work together to create and implement service projects to address climate concerns and promote positive change.

Through this program, participants:

• Explore climate change issues on a global and local scale through demonstrations, talks and community science projects
• Visit local sites including a solar field, parks, creeks, piers, and more!
• Design, create, and implement a service project centered on climate change
• Connect with peers and community leaders

Who: 

High School Students (Grades 9-11) who live in or attend school in Rockland County. We are especially looking for youth who work well in a team, are passionate about climate change issues, and are dedicated to making a difference in their communities.

Cost:

FREE! Thanks to the generous support of Champlain Hudson Power Express, there is no cost to participate in the 4-H Youth for Climate Action Program.

Transportation:

Participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from all session locations. Financial support is available for those who are unable to secure transportation. If you are accepted into the program and need assistance, please contact the coordinator, Kristin Ruggiero, at klf37@cornell.edu.

2025 - 2026 Tentative Program Schedule:

Date and Time	Topic	Description	Location
Thurs. Dec. 18 6:00 - 7:00 pm	Orientation	Program overview and team-building	Cornell Cooperative Extension Rockland (CCER), Stony Point
Thurs. Jan. 8 6:00 - 7:30 pm	Local Climate Action	Connect with local environmental leaders	CCER
Thurs. Jan. 15 6:00 - 8:00 pm	Communication Skills and Public Presentations	Learn how to develop, organize, and deliver an effective public presentation.	CCER
Thurs. Feb. 5 6:00 - 7:30 pm	Climate Action through Art	Learn about the plastic crisis and how to use art to make a difference	CCER
Thurs. Feb. 12 6:00 -8:00 pm	Service Project Planning	Conduct a community needs assessment, brainstorm project ideas, and divide into groups to create service projects	CCER
Tues. Feb. 17 10:30 - 11:30 am	Sustainable Fashion	Eileen Fisher Waste No More Factory Tour	Irvington, NY
Thurs. Feb. 26 6:00 - 8:00 pm	Public Presentations: Sharing with Peers	Give a 5 -10 min. presentation on a climate change topic (members can work in teams)	CCER
Sat. Mar. 7 (Optional) 9:00 am - 12:00 pm	4-H Public Presentation Event	Present in front of trained evaluators to receive feedback and enhance your skills	CCER
Thurs. Mar. 12 6:00 - 7:30 pm	Service Project Coordination	Meet with community partners for project advice	Virtual
Thurs. Mar. 26 6:00 - 7:30 pm	Dominican University Tour	Meet with students, faculty, and staff to learn about the college experience and Dominican's new Environmental Studies Major	Dominican University, Orangeburg, NY
Wed., Thurs., & Fri. Apr. 8, 9 & 10, 4:15pm - (approx.) 6:15pm	The American Eel Project	Help the DEC monitor glass eels in Minisceongo Creek	West Haverstraw, NY
Sat. April 11	Sunset Park Materials Recovery Facility and Urban Gardening in NYC	Visit the largest plan for comingled residential recyclables in North America and learn about gardening in NYC	Brooklyn, NY
Thurs. Apr. 23 4:30 - 6:30 pm	Composting/Waste Management and Solar Field Tour	Learn how Rockland Green composts and manages waste and how Clarkstown is using a landfill to support clean energy	Clarkstown, NY
Saturday, Apr. 18 or 25 2 hours	Ecosystem Monitoring	Visit the Lamont-Doherty Hudson River Field Station and seine the river for aquatic animals	Piermont, NY
Thurs. Apr. 30 5:00 - 6:00 pm	Invasive Species	Support invasive species removal and learn how Conservation Dogs are used for detection	Mahwah, NJ
Thurs. May 21	Sustainable Agriculture	Visit a local farm to explore composting and sustainable farming practices
Thurs. May 21 6:00 - 7:30 pm	Service Project Review & Presentations	Create a group presentation to share your service project with the community	CCER
Thurs. June 4 5:00 - 7:00 pm	Community Celebration	Celebrate the year with family, friends, and community members

Apply for the Class of 2025-2026!

View a PDF of the application questions. Note: This PDF is for reference only; only applications submitted online will be accepted. Apply by December 7!

Last updated November 10, 2025