This is a program of AFS International and is not administered by AFS-USA. AFS-USA is a separate legal entity from AFS Intercultural Programs/AFS International and is not a legal affiliate thereof.
Few issues are as complex and multifaceted as climate change. Meeting the many pressing challenges that climate change presents is an urgent global priority that requires innovation, collaboration, and resource allocation. According to the Yale Center for Business and the Environment, “the world needs leaders in all sectors who can connect the massive economic opportunity of clean energy to the moral imperatives of addressing climate change and protecting all communities and ecosystems.”
And this is where you come in. The AFS Youth Assembly Climate Entrepreneurship Academy will help emerging leaders address and connect the moral imperative and opportunity. For a young entrepreneur, it is a once-in-a-generation calling. We need climate entrepreneurs and innovators seeking to contribute to the startup and climate community in every country working on regional and global climate issues in order to gain ground in the efforts to maintain a liveable and prosperous planet for all.
We need climate entrepreneurs and collaborators. By responding to specific problems, demands, or gaps in the market, climate entrepreneurs help identify and pursue opportunities that deliver environmental benefits for the communities they serve and the world.
In this academy at the AFS Youth Assembly, participants will gain practical knowledge of and strategies for founding, financing, and sustainably growing their own climate-focused start-ups. Participants can join this academy whether they’re just starting their entrepreneurial journey, considering this path, or interested in contributing to the startup community in a meaningful way. Delegates will have a chance to team up with their peers and industry mentors in the Academy to workshop and deliver a pitch they will present to a panel of judges at NYU.
FIND OUT MORE: A Day in the Climate Entrepreneurship Academy: A Journey of Discovery
NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs (CGA) is the official Partner for the Climate Entrepreneurship Academy of the 30th AFS Youth Assembly.
what you'll experience
In the Climate Entrepreneurship Academy, participants will engage in the following:
- Networking with other climate entrepreneurs from around the world
- Climate Entrepreneurship Program presented by NYU instructors
- Engagement with industry practitioner mentors
- Pre-arrival intercultural preparation through the AFS Global Competence Certificate Program (virtual) with award recognition during the YA Ceremony.
- Celebrate and meet new friends on a Manhattan Boat Cruise, while taking in the NYC skyline – a most memorable experience for participants
- A NYU-YA Certificate awarded upon completion
Climate Entrepreneurship Academy Fees
Includes:
- This Academy + the AFS Youth Assembly conference
- Dates: August 6-10, 2025
- Accommodation in a hotel in New York City for 5 nights
- Double room – $3210
- Single room – $3710
- See what special perks, certificates, activities and meals are included below
NOT INCLUDED:
- Round-trip flight arrangement
- Airport transfers
- Visa application and fees (if applicable)
- Travel/healthcare insurance
- Personal incidentals and expenses
- Transportation outside the programs
See what is included
This Academy includes accommodation in a hotel in New York City for 5 nights.
The AFS Youth Assembly was a truly transformative experience. It gave me the knowledge, the skills, and the confidence to be a climate change leader. I am committed to using my voice and my platform to make a difference in the world.”
—Meaza Haregewoin Fiseha, 26 years old, Ethiopia