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.

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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 Award. These awards recognize projects with the greatest potential to create meaningful environmental and community impact while embodying CAVU’s mission: turning curiosity into hope and action. The Most Impactful Award…

Jordan Vaughan Smith
5 min read
19 May 2026
A woman with short blonde hair, wearing a black top, pearl necklace, and earrings, smiles at the camera in an outdoor setting with greenery behind her. This is Jordan Vaughan Smith.
Jordan Vaughan Smith is a member of CAVU’s Board based in Switzerland. They continue working on climate solutions in their local community while pursuing broader opportunities in their region.
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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.
Jordan Vaughan Smith
19 May 2026

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…

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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.
Jordan Vaughan Smith
12 May 2026

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…

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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.”.
Jordan Vaughan Smith
05 May 2026

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…

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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.
Jordan Vaughan Smith
29 Apr 2026

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…

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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.
Daniel Marzec
24 Feb 2026

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…

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Rebecca Van Arnam - CAVU Profile Image
Daniel Marzec
27 Jan 2026

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…

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Morgan Baker - CAVU Profile Image
Daniel Marzec
09 Dec 2025

November Classroom Dispatch

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

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Mercy Wambui - CAVU Profile Image
Daniel Marzec
05 Nov 2025

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…

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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.
Jordan Vaughan Smith
04 Oct 2023

Fall 2023 Newsletter

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Five people pose in front of two small propeller planes on a grassy area, with tropical trees and buildings in the background.
Daniel Marzec
13 Oct 2022

Smithsonian Exhibit Press Release

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A Summer 2022 newsletter image asks for visions for New Mexico’s future, highlighting wildfire impacts, climate solutions, and organizations working toward a sustainable economy.
Daniel Marzec
23 Jun 2022

Summer 2022 Newsletter

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A promotional flyer for CAVU’s Winter 2021 Climate Innovation Challenge, featured in the Summer 2022 newsletter, highlights expansion to new states and increased participation, with logos and illustrated community figures.
Daniel Marzec
22 Jun 2022

Winter 2021 Newsletter

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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. 
Alexander Nyang’iti, a boy with short brown hair wearing a blue shirt, smiles outdoors in front of green bushes.

Joel Hoffman

Joel Hoffman is an eighth 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.
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A person with long red hair stands outdoors in front of yellow autumn leaves, smiling slightly at the camera with sunlight shining behind them—capturing a warm, golden moment reminiscent of an Alexander Nyang’iti portrait.

Molly Steenhoven

Molly is a Sophomore in Boise Idaho who strives to engage in her local community. She can normally be found working with school clubs or Human Rights organizations. Through public speaking and artistic innovation, Molly works to better support and change the world around her. She is passionate about education, the environment, and creativity. Molly looks forward to working and growing with the CAVU. 
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A young woman with long dark hair, wearing a black sweater, stands in front of a wooden wall, smiling at the camera—her warm smile reminiscent of Alexander Nyang’iti’s candid portraits.

Shanaaya Chaudhary

Shanaaya Chaudhary is a ninth-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 and communication. Shanaaya is dedicated to amplifying young voices through creativity, aiming to make a lasting, positive impact. Her work reflects a strong commitment to climate resilience, resource conservation, and community awareness—always 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.
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Alexander Nyang’iti, with long dark hair and glasses, wearing a white top, is smiling at the camera indoors with shelves and decorative items in the background.

Zesha Uddin

Zesha is a senior at Brooklyn Technical High School who is majoring in environmental sciences. A lot of times she is in the school’s greenhouse or in the environmental lab helping maintain the many systems in place, like the hydroponic systems or the various simulations of other ecosystems. As a Bengali American, she is very intimate with the many consequences of climate change, including flooding and other issues with water. Therefore, she has a special interest in urban ecology and urban ecosystem management, like water systems and city parks. 
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A young man with short curly hair and a thin beard wears a striped button-up shirt, standing outdoors in front of a blurred green background. This is Alexander Nyang’iti.

Alexander Nyang’iti

Alexander Nyang’iti, from Nairobi, Kenya, is an award-winning youth climate innovator and environmental storyteller. He is the pioneer behind ForestNukes, a Miyawaki-inspired seed-bombing reforestation system that won the 2024/2025 Climate Innovation Challenge Founders’ Award for Best in Show. Through his work, Alexander bridges climate innovation, rewilding, and youth empowerment.
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Chantal Nyakio, with short braided hair, wearing a green knit sweater and a gold necklace, stands in front of tall bamboo plants outdoors.

Chantal Nyakio

Chantal is a high school student with a passion for reptiles, particularly snakes. She likes to conduct research on climate change issues, attend conferences, road trips, chess, and reading manga. Although not very sporty, she enjoys swimming and solo long walks. She has done public speaking since she was five years old, as a result, she hopes to find a career in it, ranging from climate change to mental health and so forth.
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A young person, Zeinab Mohamed, wearing glasses, a white headscarf, and a dark vest over a white shirt sits and smiles while holding a pen.

Zeinab Mohamed

Kenya
Zeinab Mohamed, a student at Mpesa Foundation Academy Kenya, is an influential
member of the student council and a passionate advocate for both technology and the
environment. As a keynote speaker at the Connected Africa Summit, Zeinab showcased
her dedication to innovative solutions. She is involved with Technovation Girls, and she
earned recognition as second runner-up in the 2023 HYLEC competition.
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Teen girl with long auburn hair and braces smiles outdoors, perhaps enjoying a Bleakley afternoon with trees and blue sky in the background.

Bleakley Shettle

Florida
Bleakley Shettle is an eighth grader from Florida. She is an avid reader and enjoys making art, playing violin, creative writing, and finding unique ways to educate people about climate change and help her local environment. She also has a small face painting business. In addition to being accepted for the NOAA Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador program for two years, Bleakley participates in her school Green Club and many other clubs at her school. She has also entered in her local science fair for two years in a row and has advanced to the state science fair both years. When she was in seventh grade, she placed fourth in her category at the state science fair. Her project was titled, Creating Sustainable Alternatives to Plastic.
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Vivian Chetwood headshot

Vivian Chetwood

Boise, ID
Vivian, native to Boise Idaho is a student at Sage International School. On top of excelling in all of her classes she is passionate about learning the effects of climate change and how she can better the environment through expanding her knowledge on sustainable solutions to CO2 contributors. Vivian grew up in the Mountains  skiing, climbing and rafting where she experienced the effects of climate change when she saw extreme fluctuations in the weather.  After participating in the climate innovation challenge and winning the award of best story telling, she saw the perspective of climate advocates inspiring her to learn more about this issue.
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Carmen Valentino headshot

Carmen Valentino

Santa Fe, NM
Carmen Valentino was born in Washington DC and currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is a sophomore at The Academy for Technology and the Classics (ATC) where she is a member of the National Honors Society. Carmen has been a competitive tennis player since she was 8 years old and currently plays varsity tennis for Santa Fe High. Additionally, she is a member of Model UN, Amnesty International, Natural Helpers, and student council. In her free time Carmen is an avid sports fan and enjoys reading, hiking, and travel. Carmen has participated in CIC in multiple years and looks forward to contributing to the CICYAB.
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