Opens in a new tab

Updates: Voices of Hope in Action

Hear From the Changemakers

Stay connected with the global community of young climate leaders, educators, and supporters who are transforming climate anxiety into climate action. From student insights to program updates, discover the latest from the CAVU community.

Latest from Our Community

Text graphic featuring CAVU Climate Innovation Challenge and Hope in Action Newsletter: The Solutions-Powered Newsletter over a yellow background with abstract topographic lines, highlighting our July 2026 edition.

In a World of Climate “Doomism,” Inspiration Prevails

In a World of Climate “Doomism,” Inspiration Prevails This month, CAVU Education Coordinator, Lucy Sullivan, joined educators, students, and sustainability leaders at the NYC Green Schools Conference to share and discuss how solutions-based climate education overcomes “doomism” in young people. By Lucy SullivanCAVU Education Coordinator As I prepared my panelist notes for this year’s New…

Read the Full Update

Explore by Category

Text graphic featuring CAVU Climate Innovation Challenge and Hope in Action Newsletter: The Solutions-Powered Newsletter over a yellow background with abstract topographic lines, highlighting our July 2026 edition.

Hope in Action Newsletter: What Happens When Students are Given the Tools to Build Hope?

What Happens When Students Are Given the Tools to Build Hope?  As Education Director for CAVU, one of the most inspiring parts of my work…

Read the Full News
Text graphic featuring CAVU Climate Innovation Challenge and Hope in Action Newsletter: The Solutions-Powered Newsletter over a yellow background with abstract topographic lines, highlighting our July 2026 edition.

Hope in Action Newsletter: July 2026

With so much happening this Summer at CAVU, we created a new newsletter to help get you up to speed as we close out last…

Read the Full News
A colorful collage featuring children, educators in hockey gear, a phone with a child's face, and 2026 Teacher Awards text in the center on a textured blue background highlights the Climate Innovation Challenge Student Showcase.

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…

Read the Full News
A collage of students holding a large waffle and presenting a watermelon, smiling at the Student Showcase, labeled “Most Impactful Entry and CIC Founder’s Award” for the 2026 student climate innovation challenge.

2026 Student Showcase: Most Impactful and CIC Founder’s Award

We’re nearing the end of this year’s CAVU Student Showcase with our biggest awards remaining: The Most Impactful Award and the Climate Innovation Challenge Founder’s…

Read the Full News
Text on a blue textured background reads: Outstanding Entry Awards and Most Creative & Engaging. Various small illustrations and a Student Showcase badge add vibrant detail.

2026 Student Showcase: Most Outstanding Entry Awards and Most Creative & Engaging

Many of the critical problems climate change presents communities around the world cannot be solved through datasets and formulas alone. That’s why both of these…

Read the Full News
A collage featuring students, a phone displaying Earth, an aerial view of land, and a “Student Showcase” banner with the text “Best Storytelling & Most Practical Effective Concept.”.

2026 Student Showcase: Best Storytelling and Most Practical & Effective Concept

Across this year’s CAVU Student Showcase, students didn’t just learn about climate change—they told stories, built solutions, and showed what’s possible when young people are…

Read the Full News
A promotional graphic for the 2026 CAVU Student Showcase Climate Innovation Challenge, featuring students in various settings, Honorable Mentions, and the text Grades 3–12 on a blue textured background.

Opening the 2026 CAVU Student Showcase with our Honorable Mentions!

The future is already here. It’s time to meet it. What if the most promising climate solutions in the world weren’t coming from boardrooms… but…

Read the Full News
Two students in uniform from Zebar School stand behind a model city display showcasing innovation with colorful buildings, trees, and vehicles, set against a blue and white background.

From Problem to Prototype: How CIC Inspires Innovation at Zebar School

In Ahmedabad, India, students at Zebar School for Children aren’t just learning about climate change, they’re engineering solutions. For the past three years, educator Ayushe…

Read the Full News
Rebecca Van Arnam - CAVU Profile Image

A Day in the Life of a CAVU Educator: Inside a Classroom Full of Climate Innovators

By the time CAVU Program and Operations Director Rebecca VanArnam arrived at Fieldstone Middle School in New Jersey on Friday, December 19, the energy was…

Read the Full News
Morgan Baker - CAVU Profile Image

November Classroom Dispatch

Read about educator, Morgan Baker’s transformation in her classroom using the Climate Innovation Challenge!

Read the Full News
Mercy Wambui - CAVU Profile Image

October Classroom Dispatch

Year-Round Classroom Garden Feeds Learners By Mercy Wambui Visiting classrooms remains the best part of my job and working directly with students and educators is…

Read the Full News
Screenshot of the Fall 2023 CAVU Newsletter featuring program information, a headline about CAVU’s journey, and a sidebar about the Climate Innovation Challenge website.

Fall 2023 Newsletter

Read the Full News

Meet Our Youth Leaders

The CAVU Youth Advisory Board consists of CIC alumni and young climate leaders who provide guidance on program development, represent youth perspectives in  organizational decisions, and mentor current CIC participants. 
Tanishreet Kaur, a young person with braided hair, is wearing a brown blazer over a white sweater with black bows, standing against a plain white background.
CIC Year: 2026
Tanishreet Kaur is a 17-year-old student leader, researcher, and youth advocate from Punjab, India, currently pursuing Class 12. Her work centers on youth leadership and social impact, with a strong focus on turning awareness and ideas into meaningful action. She serves as District Interact Secretary for Interact District 3070, working with Interact Clubs across Punjab, Jammu & Himachal Pradesh to strengthen youth participation in community service and civic initiatives. She is also the Founder & Chairperson of a youth-led social-impact organisation focused on helping young people turn their skills and ideas into projects that address community and social challenges. Her experience combines research and advocacy with hands-on work in youth and public affairs. She has contributed to ESRAG South Asia’s ECHO Magazine, conducted research on human rights and civil society regulation, and worked with youth-focused organisations on policy, outreach, and global affairs. As a Climate & Nature Ambassador with Climate Cardinals × The Nature Conservancy, she creates research-backed climate content and works to make climate knowledge more accessible across communities and languages. She has also led student initiatives, facilitated workshops on sustainability and civic education, and represented young people on national and international platforms, earning recognition for her work in diplomacy, debate, leadership, and public engagement. Across these experiences, Tanishreet has developed a multidisciplinary perspective that brings together research, leadership, advocacy, and community action.
View Full Profile
CIC Year: 2026
Shalon Kerubo – 2026 CIC Youth Advisory Board member
View Full Profile
CIC Year: 2026
Peninah Esther – 2026 CIC Youth Advisory Board member
View Full Profile
CIC Year: 2026
Ian Nasio Wycliffe – 2026 CIC Youth Advisory Board member
View Full Profile
A person with long dark hair, wearing a black blazer and white shirt, stands in front of a beige textured curtain, looking at the camera.
CIC Year: 2026
Gurveen Kaur is a Grade 12 student at Wood Blossom School, Kairon, India, and a youth climate advocate and environmental storyteller. Her environmental work began with leading Plastic to Purpose, a student-led initiative addressing plastic waste through collection, segregation and EcoBrick-making. She also led a student workshop on transforming plastic waste into EcoBricks and later documented the project for ESRAG South Asia’s ECHO Magazine, with her article subsequently selected for the ESRAG Global Monthly Newsletter as one of two entries from South Asia.
View Full Profile
A young man with short, dark hair wearing a white, dotted shirt and a silver chain necklace poses against a plain white background.
Arpan Bahapur Dotel CICYAB
CIC Year: 2026
I am Arpan Bahadur Dotel, a 12th grader pursuing a level from Kathmandu, Nepal. Situated at the foothills of the Hindu Kush, Nepal is a region prone to climate disasters. I wish to introduce innovative solutions to climate change based on my roots and issues faced by my community.
View Full Profile
A person with curly hair and a white top stands outdoors near the ocean on a sunny day, with blue sky and waves in the background.
Aarna Vyas Biopic CICYAB

Aarna Vyas

New Jersey
CIC Year: 2026
Aarna Vyas is a ninth-grade student from Glen Rock, New Jersey with a passion for literature, travel, and technology. Inspired by first hand accounts of global warming on communities, Aarna is committed to using her public speaking experience to raise awareness about climate change and advocate for those impacted by it.
View Full Profile
A young woman with long dark hair, wearing a black t-shirt and earrings, smiles while standing indoors next to a carved wooden structure.
CIC Year: 2026
Neeharika Shrestha is a 16-year-old student of Rato Bangala School, Nepal and a youth climate advocate who is also the founder of Project Neeharika, a self-led initiative using music and community action to support children and promote environmental awareness. A violinist since the age of nine, she is passionate about climate change, action and creative storytelling. As a youth leader, she hopes to inspire young people to use their voices, ideas, and creativity to create meaningful change.
View Full Profile
Alexander Nyang’iti, a boy with short brown hair wearing a blue shirt, smiles outdoors in front of green bushes.

Joel Hoffman

New Mexico
Joel Hoffman is a ninth grader at Santa Fe Preparatory School. He enjoys Shakespearean acting as well as playing many sports such as soccer and skiing. His love of the outdoors and recent wildfires near his home inspired him to create a video about wildfire prevention for the Climate Innovation Challenge which won a first place award from Climate Changemaker Teen Film Festival.
View Full Profile
Young woman with long dark hair, wearing a sleeveless black top, smiling in front of large green tropical plants—Shanaaya Chaudhary radiates effortless charm and natural beauty.
Shanaaya Chaudhary is a tenth-grade student at Zebar School for Children, Ahmedabad, with a keen interest in harnessing technology and sustainability to shape a better future. She is an active member of both the Interact Club and the TED-Ed Club at her school, where she channels her passion for leadership, communication and meaningful collaboration. Shanaaya is dedicated to amplifying young voices through creativity and innovation, striving to make a lasting, positive impact. Her work reflects a strong commitment to climate resilience, resource conservation, and community awareness with a focus on transforming ideas into meaningful action. She aspires to further explore how artificial intelligence and innovation can be leveraged to address urgent climate challenges, while also inspiring her peers to become active agents of change.
View Full Profile

Stay Connected with Our Community

Join thousands of educators, students, and supporters who receive monthly updates on student innovations, program impact, and community stories.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Your Name*
Your Email*