EarthEcho’s 2026 Youth Leadership Summits united over 300 young ocean advocates and community mentors across seven in-person locations, and a virtual global session, between January 30-March 8, 2026. Organized by members of EarthEcho’s Youth Leadership Council, the Summit theme, Building ResilienSEA, focused on advancing coastal and community resilience through youth leadership, expanding on priorities being driven by our Council members and Blue Carbon Ambassadors. In person events brought youth leaders together in Baltimore, MD; Chapel Hill, NC; Madrid, Spain; Manila, Philippines; Montreal, QC, Canada; New York, NY; and South Eleuthera, The Bahamas. 

At a time when climate change and sea level rise are accelerating, young people are stepping forward with urgency, creativity, and determination. The 2026 Summits created space for participants to deepen their understanding of how healthy marine ecosystems protect coastlines, support livelihoods, and play a critical role in climate mitigation and adaptation.

Throughout the events, youth engaged in interactive learning sessions designed to build knowledge and advocacy skills. Participants explored real-world examples of ocean-based climate solutions, and reflected on how their own lived experiences shape their connection to the ocean.

But the Summits were not only about learning - they were about leadership.

A unifying component of the 2026 Summit was our Rising Voices Challenge, a collaborative video storytelling project inviting participants to share their perspectives on advancing coastal and community resilience. Youth reflected on the climate impacts affecting their communities, identified solutions to prioritized, and articulated their vision for a more resilient future. Video messages shared by Summit attendees, and members of EarthEcho’s GenSea community, will be amplified through a digital video gallery in the coming weeks. By elevating youth voices through storytelling, the Summits reinforced a powerful message: resilience is not just about infrastructure or policy - it is about people. 

Across regions and time zones, participants connected with peers who share their passion for ocean advocacy. They built confidence in their ability to speak up, engage their community, and lead initiatives that contribute to ocean and climate solutions.

The 2026 EarthEcho Youth Leadership Summits demonstrated that young leaders are not waiting for permission to act. They are already driving momentum, advancing innovative solutions, and strengthening their communities.

The Summit is just the beginning. We look forward to continuing to Build ResilienSEA with our participants through our GenSea community! 

Here’s what our participants and organizers had to say about this year’s event:

It was powerful to be able to create this summit opportunity so that young Bahamians like me could see themselves represented in the ocean and climate space. Participants not only grew a deeper sense of their personal connection to the ocean and how their diverse passions can intersect with marine protection, but also had a lot of fun applying what they learned throughout the summit to role-play how they will strive to be ocean advocates at a local scale, among their spheres of influence. - Taylor Cargill., EarthEcho Youth Leadership Council member

“The EarthEcho Summit was an incredible opportunity to connect with a community dedicated to ocean health and gain actionable insights into preserving our blue planet. I walked away feeling deeply inspired and equipped with a fresh perspective on how we can all contribute to a more sustainable marine future.” - Plerng H. Virtual Summit attendee

‍“The summit was an amazing experience: we had meaningful conversations about how to engage and scale up ocean nature-based solutions. The event didn't feel like a token conversation on sustainability, but genuine care, interest, and necessity to restore our ocean planet, tackling the climate crisis from multiple disciplines.” - 

María José (MJ) Jiménez Orozco, EarthEcho Youth Leadership Council member

‍“This Summit was a great opportunity to get connected with people and feel a sense of reassurance that there are like-minded and passionate people working towards the same goals, empowering and encouraging each other to reach those goals.” - Anna Bernatt, Baltimore Summit attendee