Mishka, a 17-year-old from Utah, co-founded Utah Youth Environmental Solutions and helped craft the Utah Climate Resolution—the first of its kind in a traditionally conservative state. She also organized the 2016 Utah People’s Climate March.

Her work focuses on empowering youth to hold statewide organizations accountable for climate change and building Utah's youth climate movement. As a Pakistani Muslim American, Mishka also strives to build bridges and empower Muslim youth and students of color in the state.

Rose, a 17-year-old Indigenous organizer from the Isanti Dakota and Ho-Chunk Nations, actively opposes the Line 3 Pipeline in Minnesota. This proposed pipeline threatens Indigenous territories and the way of life for the Anishinaabe and Dakota people.

Rose speaks publicly at schools and organizes local events to raise awareness about the pipeline's dangers. She is also a Youth Climate intervenor, one of 13 who gained legal status in the Line 3 permitting process. Her activism extends beyond Minnesota, notably including the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock.

Stephen, 22, from Pennsylvania, is co-founder and National Field Director of Sunrise Movement. This organization mobilizes young people nationwide to combat the influence of fossil fuel executives and lobbyists, empowering them to elect leaders who will address climate change and create green jobs.

He organized the 'Sunrise Semester,' a fellowship program that engaged 70 young people in five key states for the 2018 elections. This initiative combined campaigning for progressive candidates with direct action to expose fossil fuel money. Stephen's organizing journey began at Swarthmore College, where he led a widely publicized fossil fuel divestment campaign.

Jade, an 18-year-old from North Carolina, is actively combating Colony Collapse Disorder and promoting bee conservation. Through her Pollinator Initiative, she establishes apiaries and pollinator parks in local schools, aiming to replicate her successful high school model across the area.

She has secured grant funding and organized students to become certified beekeepers with local support. Since April 2017, bees introduced to the White Oak area have been maintained pesticide-free. Jade's efforts highlight the importance of honey bees in the ecosystem and educate students about declining bee populations and beekeepers.

Tina, a 21-year-old from New Brunswick, is a prominent student climate activist. She organizes a nationally recognized fossil fuel divestment campaign at Mount Allison University and serves on the steering committee for RISE 2019, a national climate convergence focused on training young people in direct action and anti-oppressive organizing.

Recognized as one of Canada’s Top 25 Environmentalists Under 25 by Starfish Canada, Tina also acts as interim Coordinator for the Canadian Youth Delegation (CYD). She previously represented CYD at UN climate change negotiations (COP 22 and COP 23), advocating for Canadian government accountability on climate justice and the Paris Agreement.

Valeree, a UCLA senior, co-founded the Environmentalists of Color Collective (EOCC) to challenge mainstream environmentalism and amplify the voices of communities of color. She is dedicated to fostering dialogues on environmental justice and racism, notably co-organizing a Climate Justice Forum that launched EOCC's work.

As a Carbon Neutrality Initiative Fellow for the University of California, Valeree engages students in the UC system's goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. She aims to integrate sustainability and environmental justice values into corporate systems.

Sarah Milner, a senior at Huron High School, is passionate about sociology and writing. She plans to study organizational studies, aiming to become a consultant who helps future business leaders enhance ethical practices, diversity, and leadership skills within their companies.

Outside academics, Sarah is active in JSA, DECA, and leads her own music club. This marks her debut as a speaker at Ann Arbor's independently organized TEDx event, TEDxYouth@AnnArbor.

Henry Taylor, a 12th grader at Pioneer High School, enjoys spending time with friends, watching movies, researching politics, and reading. A passionate advocate for the feminist movement, Henry believes everyone, regardless of gender, should embrace feminism.

He sees a TEDx talk as an impactful platform to share this message. Next year, Henry will attend American University in Washington D.C., studying Communications, Law, Economics, and Government (CLEG). This talk is for TEDxYouth@AnnArbor.

Veronica Mentor, a University of Florida student and powerful spoken word poet, shares her personal journey. Her work explores the struggles and experiences of growing up as a brown girl.

This compelling talk was presented at TEDxUF, an independently organized event following the TED conference format.

During an ethnographic research visit to Nepal, Tsechu Dolma learned that Geling villagers in Upper Mustang were struggling with food and water insecurity due to erratic climate patterns. Upon returning to the US, she consulted with Nepalese expats and academics to devise strategies for climate resilience among the region's subsistence farmers.

With funding from the Rubin Foundation and Columbia University, Dolma returned to Nepal to study past development projects. She proposed building a community greenhouse using local materials, an idea unanimously supported by the villagers. To address youth disengagement caused by civil war and environmental degradation, the greenhouse would be built in a school, fostering intergenerational sharing and collaboration.

Dolma hopes the Geling greenhouse will serve as a global model for climate resiliency and local ownership in rural communities.

Tiffany Carey, an environmental studies major, believes community involvement is vital in research. For her University of Michigan project, she partnered with Detroit's Western International High School students to study urban pollen levels, a key factor in asthma and allergies.

Over three years, ninth and tenth graders placed pollen collectors, confirming vacant lots were rich in allergy-causing ragweed. Carey then explored solutions like urban reforestation and mowing. She also noted the project's positive impact, as hands-on citizen science made ecology relevant for the high schoolers.

Native Floridian Sean Russell developed a passion for marine conservation through 4-H and an internship at Mote Marine Laboratory. At 16, he founded the "Stow It-Don't Throw It Project." This initiative repurposes tennis ball containers into fishing line recycling bins, distributed by youth who educate anglers on proper disposal to protect marine wildlife from debris. The project now operates in 10 states.

In 2011, Russell launched the Youth Ocean Conservation Summit at Mote Lab. This annual event equips young people with skills to start their own conservation projects, inspiring hundreds nationwide. Satellite summits are now expanding its reach, beginning with the National and Seattle Aquariums.

After a 2011 march against strip-mining, Jackson Koeppel became committed to exploring alternatives to an extractive economy. That same year, he found his cause in Highland Park, MI. The Detroit-area city had lost 80% of its population, and in 2011, 1,000 of its 1,500 streetlights were decommissioned due to a $4 million municipal debt, leaving residential streets in darkness.

In response, Koeppel co-founded Soulardarity. This community organization is installing 200 solar streetlights and forming a cooperative of residents, businesses, and institutions to maintain them through annual dues. These affordable, eco-friendly lights foster community resilience and sustainability discussions.

Arielle Klagsbrun received a Brower Youth Award in 2013.

She was recognized for her work mobilizing communities to create a healthy future, free from dependence on coal.

Amira has been honored with a prestigious Brower Youth Award.

She received this recognition for her significant work in fostering sustainable water consumption practices at the University of Puerto Rico's Rio Piedras campus.

Inspired by his childhood summers at Muscoot Farm, Xerxes Libsch spearheaded a restoration project to show gratitude for the rare animal breeding camp.

Leading 25 volunteers and partnering with organizations like the Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology, his team installed 22 birdhouses, cleared 800 square feet of invasive species, and created a half-mile nature trail.

They also prevented two tons of animal waste from contaminating a reservoir and erected an environmental learning center, transforming the farm into an inspiring educational wild space for its 135,000 annual guests.

Driven by witnessing the connection between injustice and environmental degradation, Jess Grady-Benson co-founded the Claremont Colleges Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign in 2012. She led the campaign to a victory at Pitzer College in 2014, securing fossil fuel divestment.

Post-graduation, Grady-Benson continues building the youth climate justice movement through the national Fossil Fuel Divestment Student Network. As a coordinating committee member and Director of Training, she plans strategic direction, designs leadership programs, and trains young organizers nationwide to advance divestment and a just transition.

Celeste received a prestigious Brower Youth Award.

She was recognized for making impactful and lasting changes by greening her high school campus.

Dyanna was honored with a prestigious Brower Youth Award.

This recognition celebrated her dedicated work in mobilizing a civically engaged environmental youth coalition.

Her impactful efforts extended throughout Virginia and beyond.

Jess received a prestigious Brower Youth Award for her impactful contributions.

Her work centered on fostering fossil fuel divestment campaigns across college campuses, primarily achieved through comprehensive student training initiatives.