Climate Action Projects

Soul Seeds focused on biodiversity, sustainability, and changing mindsets through environmental research. By housing native plants in their school’s greenhouse, they conducted experiments and data analysis, monitoring soil health and water uptake. Their aim was to inform Middle School students and explore the potential for native plants in school gardens. They were energized by student interest to get involved in conducting soil tests and other hands-on research.  Next steps include sharing results with school administration for implementation and curriculum incorporation. As research finalists, they will promote soil research in Los Angeles to esteemed professionals. They’re also coordinating with other passionate students to expand their project’s scope and raise awareness through school and regional newspapers, as well as collaborating with campus clubs for future events and fundraisers.

Bosque de Agua, a vital temperate subtropical forest near Mexico City, faces threats from urban sprawl, deforestation, and pollution. This project initially focused on legal protection but shifted to educating visitors about the forest’s importance and conservation through Leave No Trace principles. With guidance from experts and collaboration with the Leave No Trace Organization, Conrado designed and implemented a communications/awareness campaign through the creation of Péeksaba Turismo, an outdoor business. Leaflets were distributed, and educational discussions held during hikes. Plans include becoming a community partner with Leave No Trace and registering Péeksaba as an authorized outdoor business in forest areas. The project engaged 74 individuals, including academics, locals, and campaign testers. Its ongoing impact aims to raise awareness among visitors about Bosque de Agua’s significance, fostering a network committed to its protection. The project’s success lies in the collaboration and support received, igniting a shared commitment to forest conservation and responsible outdoor practices.

“Creciendo Raíces” focuses on addressing food insecurity in the village of Raices by providing Frida Kahlo Secondary School with ten blueberry trees. Situated atop the Xinantecatl volcano, extreme temperatures have led to a heavy reliance on oats and potatoes, exacerbating food insecurity. Recognizing the intersection of climate change and social justice, particularly for low-income families, the team is committed to addressing this issue. To raise $1,800 for the trees and supplies, they hosted five events, including a posada, bake sale, volleyball and football tournaments, and selling natural balms. These events united the school community and generated funds. Once the goal was reached, they planned and hosted a tree planting day, following a biologist’s instructions for optimal growth. Despite challenges in fundraising, language barriers, and balancing schoolwork, they adapted their approach, resulting in tangible change and a rewarding experience for all involved.

“Empowering Maroon Communities by Harnessing Whirlpool Turbines for Sustainable Electricity Access,” targets Maroon communities like Gansee grappling with electricity access limitations. Initial presentations to Suriname’s First Lady and Datasur’s CEO garnered support, setting the stage for project implementation. Research on water and land rights facilitated project approval without government intervention. However, challenges emerged due to low water levels, prompting a shift to solar energy. Despite obstacles like high lithium battery costs, the team remains committed to providing sustainable electricity to Gansee and extending this solution to other underserved communities for enduring impact and environmental preservation.

Project Eco Harmony’s Roots of Change targets the critical issues of unsustainable agricultural practices and limited food safety awareness in Panchagarh city’s rural communities, Bangladesh. With 84% of the population reliant on agriculture, the project focuses on promoting eco farming aligned with SDGs 2: Zero Hunger and 13: Climate Action. Through partnerships with local stakeholders including the Union Parishad and the District Agriculture Office, Roots of Change engages in workshops, educational sessions, and community events to teach sustainable agricultural techniques such as crop rotation and composting. By fostering grassroots engagement and collaboration, the project aims to cultivate a culture of environmental stewardship, leading towards a greener and healthier farming future in Panchagarh.

Environmental Education (EE) and Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) among young people aged 16-25 in Eastern Indonesia. Despite a pro-environment stance, studies reveal a deficiency in sustainability literacy and knowledge among this demographic. Recognizing the urgency of empowering youth to combat climate change, the project offers a comprehensive approach encompassing climate curriculum, courses, case studies, discussions, campaigns, and action initiatives. Through three core pillars—Climate Learning, Climate Campaign, and Climate Action—the project seeks to enhance students’ perception and self-efficacy in environmental education, equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills to effect meaningful change within their communities and beyond.

Daniel’s CAP is aimed at managing plastic waste from local waterways while also raising awareness around waste management in his local community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Daniel and his team – which has grown from 15 to over 60 people – collected plastic waste from Lake Kivu and made garbage cans out of plastic bottles. In addition, they took a training course on how to build bricks made from plastic materials, so they will start to increase production in the coming weeks. Daniel also organized conferences and campaigns to educate his community on the harms of plastic contamination for marine and ocean health.

Waste Wise endeavors to reduce methane emissions by diverting compost waste from landfills. Initially, two composting bins, accompanied by posters and labels, will be strategically placed near the cafeteria. Students involved in Waste Wise will take turns overseeing the bins during lunch periods, encouraging proper disposal practices. Waste collection will occur every Friday after school, with trained student members or their parents transporting the waste to a composting hub, the exact location of which is yet to be determined. Collaboration with the SMHS Green Club aims to expand volunteer recruitment efforts and raise awareness about composting.

EcoFlow transitioned from classroom education to advocacy, focusing on raising awareness and mobilizing support for reduced plastic waste through petitions. Despite challenges, the project adapted, securing partnerships and donations to drive its mission. Activities included tabling events, virtual calls to action, and collaboration with local artists. EcoFlow collected 68 petition signatures across three initiatives, addressing plastic pollution and supporting environmental efforts. In addition, Azure enlisted over 30 sign ups for Project Green Challenge 2024 from her university. Looking forward, the project aims to expand its reach to educate and empower more students at University of Central Florida. 

Aiden’s CAP introduced a vermicomposting bin at his school. After overcoming several barriers to implementation, he successfully placed a vermicomposting bin at the school garden. Weekly maintenance ensures the longevity and sustainability of this project. Aiden is currently seeking to expand the scope and reach of his project by implementing vermicomposting at other schools in his district. 

This CAP is designed to raise awareness and offer solutions for waste management in science laboratories. A survey was first conducted to measure waste generated, energy consumption and knowledge about current recycling programs. The results indicated that a majority of labs want to be sustainable but do not know where to start, which will drive the creation of a guide for sustainable lab practices.

Socio-Green Students Association is a club created by youth for youth in Iran. The CAP’s three areas of focus have included: fashion swaps to keep clothing in circulation and out of landfills, Zero Waste education to promote recycling and composting, and water conservation by creating a system of connected pipes to gather the water produced by the school’s 26 air conditioning units in a reservoir and then use recycled water for gardens.

Creating an open source website will make information about sustainable behavior accessible to everyone. The platform that Vittorio will build for his CAP will feature environmentally-friendly practices (ex. using a bicycle, buying second hand, etc.), how to get involved in the movement, and specific projects or initiatives that they can help with or support. People will be able to add to the site to ensure a relevant, growing resource.

Outcome: For his project, Vittorio designed an educational website focused on increasing the accessibility of sustainable practices in the areas of food, waste and energy. Through extensive research ,Vittorio created resources to support the ‘eco-curious’ and help them establish simple ways of contributing to healing the planet.

How is the Zimbabwean community taking on climate change? Takunda will explore resistance and adaptability, food security and economic sustenance, and indigenous food systems and preservation mechanisms across generations. For his CAP, he will interview five elders and five young members of the community on these topics to then produce a podcast, publishable academic paper and eventual book.

Outcome: Through interviews with women indigenous elders in his community, Takunda’s CAP documents traditional food preservation methods and recipes from Mashonaland, Zimbabwe. The project culminated in a podcast and beautifully designed ebooklet featuring the stories, voices and recipes of local indigenous women. Takunda was able to document and share realities of rural women in Zimbabwe and celebrate their food culture. The project enabled him to create a pathway for indigenous communities to be heard in the climate movement. In the Spring of 2022, Takunda will continue this work by creating a short film featuring further interviews with elders on indigenous foodways.

Stephen is creating an accessible climate learning platform for students. His CAP will allow university students to shift from climate anxiety/denial to action, optimism and expression, and ensure education is inclusive while highlighting colonialism, postcolonialism and the need for a system change. It can easily be shared with other student unions around the country to provide a vital form of collective action.

Outcome: Stephen’s project, focused on eco-anxiety on college campuses, continues to flourish into 2022. Through a series of workshops on eco-anxiety, climate change and climate justice, Stephen was able to create a safe space for participants to feel and embrace emotions around the climate crisis. The workshops also catalyzed students and staff to take action, at home and in their university. The workshops reached over 70 participants, and culminated in an emotion-embracing action involving over 300 staff, students and strangers, ensuring that students who struggle with the climate crisis are not alone and feel validated.

By gathering scouts around saving nature, supporting native biodiversity, and combating climate change, Srna will deepen their power and pride in making a positive impact on the local community. Her CAP will provide both the tools and courage for participants to not only acquire and use knowledge on these topics, but also to train and educate others to lead positive change.

Outcome: In the Spring of 2022, Srna will host a 5-day biodiversity and conservation retreat for youth in Macedonia. Srna’s project will empower 15 leaders from 8 different regions to implement initiatives for preserving the local biodiversity and take action against climate change in their local communities. The 15 leaders will educate and empower the youth in their local communities to join the fight against climate change, which will result in 400 young people educated and motivated to contribute to the environment in N.Macedonia.

Unemployment for young women in Uganda is at 13.3%. For his CAP, Sinan seeks to bring women into male- dominated industries to run Community Collection Hubs focused on collecting and recycling plastic from the shores of Lake Victoria. This will place them in positions of leadership and provide opportunities to learn and practice skills in finance, collection and machine management, as well as attract more women to the recycling economy, spreading benefits and income among the female population.

Outcome: Sinan’s CAP resulted in the establishment of 6 new plastic community collection hubs, 3 of which are run by women. Through outreach and training to spread awareness about plastic collection on the shores of Lake Victoria, Sinan was able to connect with over 400 community members. The project not only created employment opportunities for this community but also increased the processing capacity of his plastic recycling organization by several tons per month.

Through a visual story zine or digital/physical comic that tells the tale of the Jenu Kuruba Adivasis (honey tribe), Sanjana aims to usher in dialogue and action towards an anti-colonial and anti-caste vision of climate justice. Indigenous communities are evicted from their homes for ‘conservation purposes,’ despite the fact that Indigenous lands house 80% of the planet’s biodiversity and Indigenous rights are central to conservation.

Outcome:
Sanjana’s project documented the story of the honey-gathering Jenu Kurubas through a series of interviews, and will ultimately culminate in the publication of a zine illustrated by an indigenous artist about the unjust eviction of the tribe from their ancestral homeland in Nagarhole National Park. Through her project, Sanjana was able to establish a meaningful relationship with the tribe, which enabled her to learn more about colonial conservation as a concept, and also about cultural practices that truly embody their collectivist spirit.

Rohini’s CAP aims to bring sustainable waste management to the cantonment areas of New Delhi in the form of compost bins, segregated recycling bins, etc. These systems will benefit both present and future residents, all involved in garbage collection, and the broader community, as well as public health and existing greenery, natural resources, and the surrounding environment by eradicating open dumping.

From an early age, children need to be made aware of how their actions affect the environment. Interactive, hands-on environmental education on climate change and the state of the world’s waters is critical. Nuppu will focus her CAP on children from 5-9 years old, using storytelling and activities like planting fruit and vegetables, picking up trash, creating art, and more to inspire, create wonder, and engage youth in innovative solutions.

Outcome: Nuppu ultimately collaborated with an artist to create a deck of beautiful seasonal activity cards to help children raise questions about their local ecology outside of the classroom. The cards are intended for use as an active play tool and to help youth connect with seasons and cycles of Finland.

By reconnecting people with the planet and teaming up with mushrooms, nature’s connectors and recyclers, Merlin’s CAP aims to create healthier environments. He will give multidimensional educational workshops to teach participants about the valuable role of mushrooms in ecosystems, how to grow them at home with simple materials, and directly employ the services of fungi to create food from food waste.

Outcome: Merlin was able to offer a series of five successful workshops on the benefits and methods of mushroom growing at home. His workshops evoked the wonders of fungi and mycelium for his participants by giving them a tangible experience of growing their own edible mushrooms and teaching about the role that fungi play in ecosystems. Merlin intends to continue to teach these workshops on farms and in his community once pandemic restrictions have been lifted in Amsterdam.

Maria’s CAP educates people in neighborhoods throughout Bogotá to take care of public spaces and improve waste management. With the formation of a group of Clube Eco Artes, the project will offer education, meeting spaces, and awareness activities to provide the community with both the tools and culture to take environmental responsibility, reduce waste generated at home, and address climate and social problems.

Outcome: Through a series of educational workshops on recycling and waste management practices, Maria Paula’s project empowered her community to learn about recycling and waste separation as tools for mitigating environmental harm and improving neighborhood wellbeing.

Living on an island nation has made Laura acutely aware of the impacts that sea level rise brought about by climate change can bring. With her background in science, Laura set out to study local emissions, and provide the community with digestible, clear solutions. Laura’s CAP measured CO2 composition and air quality in Lange Park, Chaguana. Once she had some answers, Laura envisioned a plan with real solutions and actions her community would take to lower their carbon emissions.

Outcome: Laura’s community assessment of local CO2 emissions found that 2 tonnes/day in Lange Park were being emitted. She then completed her project by circulating a brochure on environmental best practices around her community.

How can we change the destiny of food discarded by restaurants and redirect it to communities facing food insecurity? Beginning in the Brazilian city of Londrina, Juliana’s CAP will implement a system to collect spare food from restaurants, pack it in reusable containers, and transport it to those in need together with local volunteers.

Outcome: Juliana’s project implemented in the weekly collection of several containers of food from local restaurants. She spent several hours a week during her CAP helping to prepare delicious meals using the collected food, which would otherwise have been wasted, to feed communities in need.

By conducting surveys among and facilitating workshops with young women and girls throughout Benin, Daniel’s CAP seeks to change the low rate of female participation in the climate field in his country and beyond. These ‘Amazons’ will be able to position themselves as key players in the fight against the harmful effects of climate change in West Africa, contrary to what is currently happening.

Outcome: Daniel’s CAP ultimately offered a series of workshops to 15 young girls or women leaders or members of 15 different NGOs working in the climate field in Benin to strengthen the involvement of Beninese women in the fight against climate change. The workshops integrated the ideas, feedback and solutions of the participants, on the basis of the principle “Nothing for us, without us.” Phase 2 of the program will consist of a series of online capacity-building workshops to train girls and women working in the climate field.

“Education Through Art” will offer students ages 14 to 20 an opportunity to learn about climate change in both a theoretical course and art event. Danja’s CAP will educate students to understand what climate change is, its effect on the environment, the role of individuals and why we should have hope in collective solutions. Students will also become familiar with artists using their mediums for activism on environmental issues.

Outcome:
Danja’s project culminated in two successful climate and art workshops for children in her local community. Through inspiring art and creativity, Danja was able to inspire children to think through climate change in a healthy and fun environment while creating work that they were proud of.

Reducing single use plastic is a priority addressing environmental problems, and motivating young people is a big step towards this goal. Children can be a part of motivating families, friends and communities to care about, understand the impact of, and work towards solutions. Clinton’s CAP aims to educate and motivate children in Nigeria towards a greener and cleaner environment, while embracing individual agency within communities.

Outcome: Clinton’s CAP, which continues to flourish, focuses on teaching and mobilizing youth to tackle the issue of plastic waste and ocean pollution in Nigeria. Through weekend activities, workshops and an after-school program, Clinton’s CAP has reached dozens of youth in Nigeria and is expanding to other schools in his area.

The Italian educational system is failing to introduce young people to the environmental discourse. Cecilia will leverage her experience as a writer, editor and journalist for her CAP, translating words into visual images to film a short documentary that centers environmental storytelling, reflects on the importance of teaching children about climate change, and highlights the value they bring to the solution-making process.

Outcome: Cecilia’s project culminated in a short video about children and the effects of climate change. Through a beautiful bedtime story, Cecilia traces the journey of a young child to understanding the current era of ecological disruption in simple and accessible terms. While completion of filming was disrupted due to COVID-19 restrictions, Cecilia’s short film illuminates a vitally important conversation in the climate movement.

The loss of pollinating insects poses a serious threat to food production. Chemical pesticide use by farms, communities and households has reduced the numbers of insects that facilitate pollination of fruit bearing trees, shrubs, and other food sources. Caesar’s CAP has a vision to bring back a vibrant population of bees, butterflies and pollinators, by providing areas where insects can thrive with food, shelter and no chemical use.

Outcome: Caesar’s project ultimately resulted in the distribution of indigenous “seed bombs;”seeds encased in burlap, soil and compost, to five major sit in Pennsylvania, including a former superfund site. By seeding patches of wild ungrazed and unmowed areas with pollinator plants, Caesar aimed to grow plants and wildflowers that are home to pollinating insects, thereby preserving, and promoting the biodiversity that is in peril from rapidly changing climate conditions. Caesar received the support of his university provost and a student intern who continues to help out with this rewilding process.

An urban garden in the neighborhood of Pinares in Bogotá will act as a classroom to educate the community about the impacts of the climate crisis, as well as mitigation and adaptation techniques. Anyi will team up with students and a local organization to research, develop and execute a teaching and technology strategy to inform about environmental challenges and transform the public’s relationship with nature.

Outcome: Together with the co-founders of her youth climate organization Cambium, Anyi was able to gain access to land and begin the process of establishing a community garden where they now engage local youth in nature-based workshops. Anyi toured the neighborhood of Piñares with youths within her community, fostering education and inspiring possibilities for improving the wellbeing of the neighborhood. Her proudest moment was articulating these issues to her community and meeting their collective goals.

Access to clean water is an increasing problem in developing countries, particularly those dependent on natural resource mining like Nigeria. Amarachi will use her skillset to collect and analyze water samples from select polluted sites across coastal communities in the Niger Delta. Her results will provide students, staffers, and policymakers with knowledge on water quality to address pollution and public and environmental health.

Outcome: Amarachi completed her project with the publication of a scientific research paper focused on water pollutant levels in oil-contaminated sites in the Niger River Delta to influence policy action and assess community-level interventions. Amarachi’s communique from her CAP reached inhabitants of coastal communities through the journal Publication and News. Amarachi held three workshops on reducing anthropogenic water pollution in the community, with enthusiastic support from local youth.

This CAP addresses the lack of environmental justice teachings in medical education. Environmental injustices are one of the strongest social health determinants, with minority populations disproportionately facing impacts on their health as a result. Given the worsening reality of climate change, it is likely that environmental injustices will continue to exacerbate, and it is imperative that future doctors are equipped to handle this in clinical practice. By collaborating with curriculum development faculty at the Frist College of Medicine at Belmont University, an environmental justice curriculum will be designed and implemented into their medical school program.

Students lack knowledge about recycling and the administration lacks concern about the issue — and this CAP holds the school accountable for failing to recycle. By surveying students, teachers and administration, gaps have been identified and action steps are being developed to raise awareness about the importance of recycling, including via video segments on the school’s news broadcast platform by the end of the school year.

A pilot program to reduce waste in the Architecture program at the University of Texas, Austin began with the creation of a social media page dedicated to stirring up a conversation around waste in architecture, specifically at architecture colleges. In addition, this CAP seeks to increase the usage of the Materials Exchange program, find a way to negotiate prices for materials, and ultimately create less waste.

In order to achieve the goal of a zero-carbon fashion footprint at school, the CAP first focused on creating a sustainable sweater for school uniforms. Next, a thrift sale offers the community a chance to become involved by donating and purchasing gently used clothing. These projects will reduce The Hewitt School’s fashion footprint, as students and community members become educated on the topic of fast fashion.

LU’UM is a project that recovers the cultural identity and knowledge of the Mayan people, seeking to solve problems from nature while adapting to new technologies and challenges. With the aim of creating a community interested in environmental action from both a social and economic point of view, this CAP’s educational programs and workshops focus on self-sufficiency, sustainability, cultivation and more.

Heat islands are a major concern in urban areas. It is the phenomenon where heat gets trapped in a certain place due to a city’s geography, topography and structures, and raises the temperature. Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and one of the most crowded, densely populated cities in the world. As it is situated in a subtropical region, the extra heat is a serious issue for citizens. This CAP seeks to detect, find the causes of, and mitigate the growing problem.

To alleviate the large issue of waste at school, this CAP introduced new specific garbage cans to use for waste and began growing plants in both yards and the greenhouse. These plants will then be incorporated into a newly created Agricultural-Business course that will start next year, where students will learn about agriculture using what is grown on campus.

The Cambodia Youth Climate Change Conference (CYCCC) was created by youth for youth. 116 participants — including students, experts, and press from approximately 26 institutions and schools — attended CYCC on April 1st at LSi Business School. Of the 15 teams CYCCC supported with weekly workshops, mentoring, and optional funding, 9 teams successfully implemented their project and presented to judges from environmental youth organizations. 3 teams won the championship and 2 teams received honorary awards.

The app, the Story of Served, aims to reduce food waste in households, get people to reflect on their habits and think consciously about the amount of food they waste, and build strong healthy neighborhood communities that also fight loneliness. Even in Denmark, a country with one of the highest food security rates worldwide, approximately 1,214,000 tons of food ends up in trash cans each year — and this CAP will directly combat that.

A seed-swapping event handed out native prairie seeds widely, attracting community members and gardeners, while encouraging people to bring biodiversity to their home gardens and local ecosystems to benefit the entire region. The CAP’s student and public education explores ways to increase biodiversity, including limiting bird collisions with windows, and why these practices are important.

To address the disproportionate effects of climate change facing the East Side of Buffalo, this CAP will transform an empty lot with flower beds, a quiet reflection and reading area, produce raised beds, a rain barrel, and a free community library for East Community High School. The space will serve as a community refuge from concrete and sun, as well as an outdoor classroom for students to learn about gardening and receive community service hours.

The book ‘Letters from Jess’ centers around an Indigenous and non-Indigenous child who become friends, learning together about how climate change affects them. This book introduces children to the disparities in physical, spiritual and emotional impacts, and how attitudes toward environmentalism are subsequently different. A complimentary resource for teachers covers the book’s concepts along with activities to develop student advocacy skills.

Seeds of Hope fosters individual environmental activism by placing seeds in the hands of students and other community members. Seed libraries located in high school and public libraries provide native plant seeds for free to the public, already with great success. The goal of this CAP is to inspire others to help improve the environment and offer the education and tools with which to do so.

Venviro is an eco modification of Universal Basic Income (UBI) that provides students with allowances to spend at local businesses that commit to sustainable practices and eco education, fostering community, food literacy, and sustainability. With a diverse stakeholder group in place, the team is continuing business outreach, fundraising, promotion, participant applications and surveys, before distribution, engagement and monitoring.

To reduce the use of fossil fuels, this CAP plans to install solar panels. After exploring options, a letter of intent was signed with Solar Walk, a regional initiative. The school would not have to pay for installation or maintenance, while receiving a reduced/fixed rate on electricity bills for 25 years. At that mark, the school will have the ability to buy the system at nearly zero cost and receive all generated power. Additional projects have included doubling the surface area of the community garden, expanding the school’s composting capabilities, and educational activities during Earth Week for all students.

Team SAHS increases awareness about solar and energy conservation. They distributed 1,250 energy efficiency kits, for estimated savings of 350 mwh and 2 million gallons of water each year. Their first video educated hundreds of students, 96% of whom made formal commitments to reduce usage. After advocating for solar to the superintendent with full cost analysis, they are now in the planning stages for school installation.

Team Rua Uni implemented the first environmental education course at Peru’s National University of Engineering, building upon and sharing knowledge gained during PGC. The course name “Qumir Hawkay” means Green Habit in the native Quechua. With strategic allies, the leadership team outlined sessions on habits, resources, eating, zero waste, climate action. Sustainable practices, awareness and career connection rose dramatically, while meat consumption dropped, as students learned, achieved, collaborated and shared.

Bee Project in Mexico uses a series of webinars, Q&As, documentary screenings and sustainability workshops to underscore the ecological importance of pollinators. Hundreds of students benefit from the knowledge, including indigenous children through meaningful student environmental club-foundation collaboration.

Vertical Victory Garden began with research, team-building and design, then material collection, construction and installation. Team members gathered, painted and assembled upcycled bottles atop a pallet, then placed at local Freetown Farm. Ongoing research, data collection and synthesis focus on solutions for an urban world.

Circular Campus designs out waste and pollution, expanding sustainability education access to divert material from landfill, regenerate natural systems, and support pollinators. Conscious Cafeteria is inspired by Conscious Kitchen and other food programs. A Native Pollinator Garden builds community, educates on biodiversity, and offers an accessible space for students. The funded Hydroponics Herb Garden will soon supply the cafeteria.

To increase solar capacity, this CAP first measured climate anxiety in the community. It went on to calculate the potential return on solar investments at the high school by constructing a detailed cost-benefit analysis, resulting in an anticipated 125% return on investment. The CAP then leveraged survey results and cost-benefit findings to get community leaders to commit to solar investments. Next steps include a city-sponsored energy assessment audit, applying for a $10,000 city energy efficiency grant, and installing solar panels at Bloomington North High School.

Princeton Youth Climate Impact Week invigorates knowledge-sharing, civic participation, and community around the urgent environmental movement among diverse students. They hosted an in-person/virtual 10- day festival with protests, readings, fundraisers, cleanups, more. Student leadership is now planning year 2.

Ecoville builds and disseminates concise, interesting, replicable, widely accessible eco education activities in Colombia. High school students engage in fun, high impact, community-minded activities — each with quotes, facts and resources with strong cultural connection for maximum relevance and interest with target audiences.

Interactive educational programs will be developed and implemented to bring middle and high school students together to learn about environmental and social justice issues, including specific steps and solutions to mitigate such problems. The goal of this CAP is to provide younger students with information and a guide for how to begin taking action.

Project Green Light focuses on cutting energy use for a smaller carbon footprint, replacing outdated lighting fixtures for efficiency, and growing outreach to facilitate community awareness. Sustainable development is the goal, where schools and cities transition purchasing and educational events inspire action for positive impact.

The focus of this CAP is to inform the public about climate change and its impact on local ecosystems, especially the role of single-use plastics and fossil fuels. Community education efforts about ocean conservation and environmental justice included newspaper articles, radio appearances, presentations at elementary schools, and collaboration with university administration. In addition, solar panels have been installed at the university to reduce fossil fuel dependence.

Climate Kidz is a climate literacy campaign, focusing on mitigation and resilience. They pass legislation around the climate emergency, create youth opportunities in city gov and educate kids on food insecurity via multimedia platforms, advocacy initiatives, and equitable libraries, expanding scale and scope across Indiana.

By supporting the native bee population, this CAP seeks to increase biodiversity at Champlain College. An educational handbook about bees was developed, which includes the impact of humans on bees, reasons for population decline, and an explanation of the species to help inform people. A craft and learn event was held, inspiring students to learn more about bees, answer questions and clear up any misconceptions.

Elise designed, received approval and led students to construct a 500 square foot garden at her former high school. They created swales and paths, covered ground in compost and built layered beds to capture carbon, forming a strong foundation for ongoing work days, garden planning and permaculture education with experts.

This CAP aims to install solar panels on the roof of Alexandria City High School in Alexandria, Virginia and spread awareness about the viability of solar energy throughout the community. A curriculum will be developed to teach the basics and logistics of solar energy, utilizing outdoor labs with solar modules that measure energy output in different conditions, which will be used for future students.

EdEco motivates people of all ages to explore local trails and parks to connect with nature and join the climate action movement. They install signs at parks and trails with QR codes to access infographics, maps, blogs and interactive visual guides on environmental issues, community impact, and indigenous populations.

The goal of this CAP was originally to create a composting program at Edina High School and eliminate the use of toxic styrofoam lunch trays by switching to compostable trays. Unfortunately, the school administration did not support this effort, so the focus has shifted to teaching individuals in the community about the negative impact that styrofoam has on the environment, while providing various sustainable solutions to the problem.

Community Compost implements composting at community gardens to enrich soil and draw down carbon, decreasing food waste and emissions. They organize a growing volunteer base to clear space, chip organic material, set up collection bins with signs, and overcome eco and logistical challenges to build layered piles.

Kids for Climate Action empowers kids to make a difference as high school students educate 3rd–5th graders about climate. Weekly Zoom lessons range from games to videos, crafts to discussions on biodiversity, carbon footprint, soil, food waste, and more themes inspired by PGC. Student, teacher, and parent feedback is strong.