2026 Student Showcase: Celebrating the Educators Behind the Climate Innovation Challenge

As we bring this year’s CAVU Student Showcase to a close, we want to wrap things up by recognizing a group of people without whom the Climate Innovation Challenge simply would not exist: teachers and educators.

Student creativity and innovation do not happen in a vacuum. Behind every student video, every brainstorm session, every project draft, and every bold idea is an educator who created that space for learning, exploration, and possibility.

This year marks a special milestone for CAVU as we introduce our first-ever Climate Innovation Challenge Teacher Awards as part of our Student Showcase. These awards recognize the educators and school communities that have gone above and beyond to bring climate learning to life in classrooms around the world.

These awards celebrate the teachers, mentors, schools, and partners who are helping transform climate education from something students learn about into something students actively do.

🌳Deep Roots Award

The Deep Roots Award honors educators whose long-term commitment, of four years or more, to the Climate Innovation Challenge has helped climate learning take root and grow over many years.

This year’s recipients are:

• Malcolm Smith-Carlile — Acequia Madre Elementary School, New Mexico (7 years)
• Kathleen Neuber — APS Next+Gen Academy, New Mexico (5 years)
• Paul Katila — St. Joseph’s RC Boys School, Kenya (4 years)
• Hasti Chandwani — Zebar School for Children, India (4 years)
• Elliot Wilkinson — Albuquerque Academy, New Mexico (4 years)
• Teresa Scarpati — Lindbergh Elementary School, New Jersey (4 years)
• Rebecca Elia — Smithville Elementary School, New Jersey (4 years)

🎥 Lights, Camera, Climate! Award

The Lights, Camera, Action Award recognizes teachers who empowered students to amplify climate innovation through an extraordinary number of video submissions of 20 or more.

This year’s winners include:

Chris Chakeres of Santa Fe Prepatory School, New Mexico, USA, with 41 student submissions, and Tiffany Echanis of Sage International School of Boise, Idaho, with 31 student submissions.

Congratulations for being hubs of climate innovation and storytelling!

⚡ Schoolwide Changemakers Award

Recognizing schools where cross-grade collaboration powers a unified climate action effort. Awarded to schools participating in the Climate Innovation Challenge from multiple levels/subjects.

Congratulations to:

• THRIVE Community School — New Mexico
  • Bridget Marshall-Roth
  • Michele Bonjour
  • Mira Butterworth
• SHOFCO Kibera School for Girls — Kenya
  • Cornelius Machuki and team
  • Richard Maribii
  • Caroline Ojwang
  • Joycee Nyapola
• Guluma Comprehensive School — Kenya
  • Stanley Avugwi
• Kericho Academy — Kenya
  • Mary Olesi
• Ohana Brook Academy — Kenya
  • Nelly Karogo

These school communities demonstrated that meaningful change grows when entire learning environments come together around a shared mission.

🌎 Ripple Effect Award

Honoring climate educators and partners who grow the movement by introducing CIC into new schools and classrooms. This award celebrates those who go above and beyond to expand CIC’s reach and bring its impact to new learning communities.

Congratulations to:

Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG) South Asia, led by Arup Sinha and Rahul Chaly, whose efforts supported 44 teachers and 119 students across India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

Congratulations also to Teach For Kenya, led by Albert Ng’etich, whose network has helped bring the Climate Innovation Challenge into more than 22 schools.

🌱 Roots to Results Award

The Roots to Results Award recognizes educators who helped students move beyond ideas and into real-world action.

Congratulations to:

• Clement Ragira — Alliance High School
• Remmy Muema — Mwakigali, Mbulia, and Kipusi Comprehensive Schools
• John Cunningham — Brooklyn Technical High School

🌟All in for Climate Award

Celebrating educators who fully embrace the Climate Innovation Challenge and go above and beyond to bring climate learning to life. Awarded to teachers who implemented the full CIC curriculum, welcomed CIC staff into their classroom, and supported student submissions.

Award winners are:

• Janice Raimondi — Fieldstone Middle School, New Jersey
• Ayushe Bansal — Zebar School for Children, India
• Mrs. Gitonga — Mary Leakey Girls High School, Kenya

💚 Thank You, Awardees!

Your dedication and commitment to your students and their learning made this year’s Climate Innovation Challenge a tremendous success. With over 42,000 student participants in classrooms and communities from around the globe, it is the teachers and educators behind each idea that turns curiosity into hope and solutions for our future.

Thank you!

🌱 Join Us Next Year

The next generation of climate innovators is already here.

Want to join them?

Learn more and register for the next Climate Innovation Challenge at cavu.org.