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

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 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…

A man in a green jacket and red cap kneels next to a smiling golden retriever on a yellow pedestrian bridge.
Daniel Marzec is a member of CAVU’s Staff based in New Mexico. They continue working on climate solutions in their local community while pursuing broader opportunities in their region.
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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…

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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…

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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…

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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.

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.”.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

Smithsonian Exhibit Press Release

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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. 
CIC Year: 2026
Tanishreet Kaur – 2026 CIC Youth Advisory Board member
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CIC Year: 2026
Shalon Kerubo – 2026 CIC Youth Advisory Board member
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CIC Year: 2026
Peninah Esther – 2026 CIC Youth Advisory Board member
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CIC Year: 2026
Ian Nasio Wycliffe – 2026 CIC Youth Advisory Board member
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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.
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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.
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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: 2025
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.
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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.
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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 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 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 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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