Ishanvi Shetty, a 15-year-old 11th grader from GEMS Modern Academy in Dubai, presents a thought-provoking talk on combating the climate crisis through AI.

An avid public speaker, debater, and philosophy enthusiast, Ishanvi is deeply committed to youth empowerment and environmental advocacy. She actively participates in sustainability initiatives, volunteering, and entrepreneurial ventures, focusing on the intersection of climate change and AI.

This talk was presented at an independently organized TEDx event. Learn more at ted.com/tedx.

Earth Island's New Leaders Initiative hosted a virtual Eco-Anxiety Panel on September 12, 2024. Climate psychologist Leslie Davenport moderated the event, which featured Brower Youth Awards Alumni.

Alumni Rachel Barge, Mackenzie Feldman, and Hamid Torabzadeh shared insights into eco-anxiety, offering coping strategies and discussing ways to overcome its challenges.

"The Influence of Environmental Activism on Gen Z Voting" featured four environmental leaders discussing activism's impact on youth turnout and civic engagement. Part of UC Berkeley's Creating Citizens Speaker Series, this event aimed to inspire future voters and citizen leaders.

The series, a partnership with The Commonwealth Club and others, offers students and community members opportunities to engage with leaders in politics, media, and education. The Commonwealth Club, founded in 1903, is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum, hosting over 500 annual events.

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Katherine Martínez Medina, 21, grew up on Vieques, Puerto Rico, an island contaminated by decades of US Navy bomb testing. This toxic environment, coupled with high food costs and import reliance, spurred her early environmental activism.

In 2020, Medina joined La Colmena Cimarrona, a women-led agriculture initiative formed post-Hurricane Maria. It seeks food sovereignty, a solidarity economy, and fights displacement in Vieques. As a link between organizations, Medina helps shape the farm's efforts, building hope.

Drone Footage Vieques:
https://www.youtube.com/@thetravelingdrone
https://www.youtube.com/@OneManWolfPack

Additional footage:
https://www.youtube.com/@aljazeeraenglish
https://www.youtube.com/@AssociatedPress

Maanit Goel, 17, from Washington State, learned about the critically endangered Southern Resident orcas. Only 75 remain in the Salish Sea, threatened by declining Chinook salmon, their primary food source, in the Snake River-Columbia River system.

In 2021, Goel founded the Washington Youth Ocean & River Conservation Alliance (WYORCA) to mobilize youth. WYORCA advocates removing four lower Snake River dams, impeding salmon migration and harming orcas. Goel argues renewable energy shouldn't sacrifice a keystone species. With 30 volunteers, WYORCA educated over 6,000 students, held 20+ congressional meetings, and coordinated events. The group earned Congressional recognition and an EPA award; Goel also spoke at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15).

After Hurricane Irma flooded Miami in 2017, Will Charouhis founded We Are Forces of Nature, a youth-led climate group. It focuses on providing climate adaptation and mitigation strategies for coastal areas, particularly through mangrove conservation.

The group launched A Million Mangroves, an initiative that cleans, plants, and researches mangroves to improve restoration success. Charouhis, 17, also pioneers research at Miami's Seaquarium on mangrove species resilience to ocean acidification and warming.

He has shared his findings at UN climate conferences, aiming to increase global restoration efforts. His organization has educated 2,500 youth in 16 countries and is involved in collaborative mangrove restoration in Central Africa.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, 16-year-old Riya Chandra discovered a passion for hiking but noticed a lack of girls of color in outdoor spaces. Research revealed historical non-inclusivity and systemic barriers preventing families of color from accessing nature, validating her own experiences.

To address this, Chandra founded HYPE: GIRLS (Hiking Youth Program for Equity: Girls) in 2021. The program organizes hikes, nature walks, and lectures for teenage girls of color in New York's Westchester and Yonkers areas. HYPE: GIRLS fosters a safe, inclusive community, promoting nature interaction for coping and self-discovery. It aims to inspire young people to protect our environment and become role models for future generations.

The 24th annual Brower Youth Awards ceremony, a flagship event of the New Leaders Initiative presented by Earth Island Institute, was held on October 17, 2023, in Berkeley, California. The evening celebrated six outstanding youth leaders for their accomplishments in the environmental movement, featuring special videos and speeches from the awardees.

This year's theme, "Moving Forward Together," underscored the power of teamwork and diverse contributions, inspired by the proverb: "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together." The awards, which have recognized environmental youth leaders since 2000, highlight how young leaders are redefining traditional leadership roles. For more information, visit broweryouthawards.org.

Angelina Xu delivered a compelling speech at the annual Brower Youth Awards ceremony. This prestigious event celebrates young environmental leaders and their impactful contributions.

The ceremony took place on October 17, 2023, at the Freight & Salvage, a renowned venue located in Berkeley, California.

Muskan Walia delivered a notable speech at the Brower Youth Awards ceremony. This prestigious event recognizes young environmental leaders.

The ceremony took place on October 17, 2023, at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, California.

Katherine Martínez Medina delivered a notable speech at the Brower Youth Awards ceremony.

The event took place on October 17, 2023, at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, California.

Maanit Goel delivered a speech at the prestigious Brower Youth Awards ceremony.

The event took place on October 17, 2023, at the Freight & Salvage venue in Berkeley, California.

Will Charouhis' speech at the Brower Youth Awards ceremony, held October 17, 2023, at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, California.

Riya Chandra delivered a speech at the Brower Youth Awards ceremony.

The event was held on October 17, 2023, at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, California.

Angelina Xu, 17, founded a food recovery and composting program in 2018, addressing middle school food waste and insecurity. It collected unopened food for school food banks and sent cafeteria waste for composting. By 2021, her program became Compostology, a youth-led nonprofit now involving 35,000 participants managing 24 K-12 school programs across Maryland.

Compostology received a World Wildlife Fund grant in 2021. In 2023, a student campaign spearheaded by Compostology passed SB 124, allocating $1.25 million for K-12 schools to implement their own programs. Compostology is now rolling out this grant program, ensuring accessibility for all schools.

After graduating high school in Utah’s Davis County, Muskan Walia committed to climate justice. In 2020, collaborating with the Sierra Club Utah Chapter, she launched the Davis School District’s first student-led Clean Energy Schools Campaign. This initiative aims for 100% clean electricity by 2030 and all energy sectors by 2040. Walia and her team successfully passed a nationally recognized policy for energy efficiency and building upgrades, inspiring similar clean energy resolutions in other Utah school districts.

Walia, 21, also co-leads Utah Youth Environmental Solutions, a network activating youth for climate justice. She coordinates an annual curriculum that equips young people with the skills to organize clean energy campaigns in their schools and communities.

Since 2000, Earth Island Institute's New Leaders Initiative (NLI) has offered innovative programming for North American youth leaders. Its core mission is to engage, grow, and support environmental and social justice activists, helping them reach their full potential.

NLI's flagship event, the Brower Youth Awards, recognizes outstanding young environmental leaders. This national awards ceremony is hosted by the New Leaders Initiative and presented by Earth Island Institute.

Please join us for this extraordinary event in October!

Raghav Kalyanaraman delivered a speech at the Brower Youth Awards ceremony.

The event was held at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, California, on October 18, 2022. For more details, visit: broweryouthawards.org.

Lauren Ejiaga delivered a speech at the Brower Youth Awards ceremony on October 18, 2022. The event was held at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, California.

Further details about the awards are available at broweryouthawards.org.

Hamid Torabzadeh delivered a speech at the Brower Youth Awards ceremony on October 18, 2022. The event took place at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, California.

For more information about the awards, visit broweryouthawards.org.