Green Team Superheroes

My “why” is to play my part in inspiring youth to use their voice and become leaders in sustainability while combatting climate change. I would use the Elevate Prize funding to further develop the Green Team Superheroes curriculum to beyond energy and waste audits. I would then take that curriculum and offer the program to elementary schools, free of charge, so they can run their own Green Team Superheroes program. Finally, I would use the funds to train other leaders like myself to be on the ground, leading the program in their communities. I would also use this opportunity to possibly team up with programs such as the Green Actioneers and use the funding to purchase their guidebook as a resource for families. Being the creator of the Green Team Superheroes program has been truly the most impactful and inspirational project I have ever worked on and I want the world to embrace it. I imagine green caped superheroes across the globe, working together to tackle the issues older generations have ignored. 

My story started with the desire to create a sustainability “club” at the elementary school my kids went to. But I didn’t want it to just be a club, I wanted the kids to become leaders, delivering presentations to their peers, and collaborating with each other to make a difference. It was so impactful that the entire school has adopted the idea of sustainability and it has become part of the school culture. So much so that the students received the Presidents’ Environmental Youth Award in 2019. After getting such great feedback from the community, hearing the impactful testimonials from the students, and watching how these superheroes learned to find their voices, I was determined to start a nonprofit with the goal of getting into more schools and making a bigger impact. My hope is to create a superhero hub that can reach all the schools in the US and globally where kids are trained to deliver presentations and lead with their voices and their actions towards a more sustainable way of living.

Because Climate Change is a global issue, we are tackling this problem on a local level. An entire student body of 300 students and 50 staff are affected at each school. The main problem we are facing is that schools are very wasteful and the students have discovered ways to lower its carbon footprint. The Green Team Superheroes are leaders, learners, explorers, collaborators, doers, and winners. They follow a proven method of data collection and analysis while implementing action plans to support their goals. They are made up of upper-class students with a passion for sustainability and the desire to lead the school in reducing its carbon footprint. As the classroom leaders, they conduct audits, advise school staff on action plans, and deliver presentations about the data collected while monitoring progress during contests. They lower energy costs, implement recycling programs, educate on sustainable food, and set an example that together, we can fight a global problem with a local approach. As the leader, I manage the timeline, deliver scripts and presentations based on their feedback and guide them towards their goals. They proudly wear their green superhero capes and convey their message that together, we can make a difference.

The approach I am taking is to give elementary age students a voice, teaching them to become leaders and letting them know their actions do make a difference at very young impressionable age. The outcomes of the Green Team Superheroes program includes fostering leadership through public speaking, developing project-based learning skills, emphasizing common core standards, cost savings for schools all while tackling a global problem with a local approach. This program develops lifelong leaders in sustainability through a student led, real-world, project-based program delivering the message that, together we can make a difference

The impact my organization is having on humanity is that the students who are Green Team Superheroes feel that what they say and do does matter and does make difference. Therefore, instilling confidence and leadership skills at a young age will translate to these students finding their passions and acting on them early in life. Also, just last year, we were invited to the Colorado State Capitol after being recognized on the floor of the House of Representative the year before. When we showed up again in our green capes, and for this youth lobby day, 150 other students were there and the organizers provided green capes for the rest of the students. So, putting on the green cape is a sign that these kids are serious leaders who will continue on in their life making an impact. Adults listened to these students and appreciated what they had to say. Impactful, exciting, fun!