Youth Environmental Leader Summit (YELS) is a form of concern for the Student Executive Board (BEM) of the Surabaya Institute of Technology (ITS) to create youth cadres who care about the environment. This activity was held on 16-19 May 2013 at the ITS Surabaya and PPLH Mojokerto campuses. On this occasion, two Geography Education students, FIS UNY, successfully passed after the selection process. They are: Janu Muhammad (P.Geo/2011) and Akhmad Ganang Hasib (P.Geo/2010). Both departed on the recommendation of the Geography Education Student Association and the support of the Faculty of Social Sciences of UNY.

YELS was held for four days. Ir. Hermien Roosita, MM (secretary of the Indonesian Ministry of Environment), filled the first day with self-motivation, leadership, and government policies related to climate change. On the second day, gave material on current conditions and climate change and the role of youth in dealing with climate change Vania Santoso (Asia Regional Ambassador for Environmental in Indonesia), adaptation and mitigation of climate change and mass management by Mongabay Indonesia. In addition to providing material, also held Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was from each group.

On the third day, the activity was carried out in Surabaya Green Action, namely planting mangroves on the Kenjeran beach, Surabaya. At this event, around 90 participants were enthusiastic about reforesting Kenjeran Beach. Finally, on the last day, name, Gugur Gunung was held, namely a healthy walk around the ITS campus. After that, a workshop was held on climate change, which was presented by the National Council on Climate Change and other speakers and the presentation of the FGD results.

The purpose of YELS is to create youth cadres who care about the environment, provide knowledge about environmental insights to youth in Indonesia, create a network of youth communities who care about the environment, and increase youth participation in an integrated manner preventing ecological damage.

At the end of the training, a communication forum for the formed 2013 Youth Environmental Leader Summit participants was expected to create movements to prevent climate change in the future. In the end, the output of YELS was a project carried out by the participants to be applied to their respective regions. (Janu/Ganang/Sari, ts-DNA)