Awards and Recognition
Daphne Zhu
2024 San Jose Climate Smart Champion of the year
VTA CAAP Recognition
Natalia Esparza
Sunnyvale Student of the Year 2022
Radhika Goel
Sunnyvale High School Student of the Year 2021
Kaushik Tota
Sunnyvale High School Student of the Year 2019
San Jose Youth Climate Action Team
The City of San Jose’s Climate Smart Champions Award 2022
2024
San Mateo County Team was selected as a finalist for the inaugural American Climate Leadership Award for High School Students 2024
Youth leader Daphne Zhu was named the 2024 San Jose Climate Smart Champion of the Year. Daphne is a high school Junior and the Co-lead of San Jose Action team.
San Jose Youth Action Team received an award from San Jose Clean Energy at the 5th Anniversary
VTA CAAP Recognition. During a celebration for the completion of the VTA’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan were acknowledged as the initial advocates and thanked for our input in the form of public comments. Learn more about our transit advocacy here.
Elisabeth Floyd, Purva Marfatia were appointed to the newly formed Santa Clara County Sustainability Commission Youth Members (we advocated for the commission in 2021)
Mani Bekele, SJ team co-lead, 9th grade, appointed to the San Jose Climate Advisory Commission
2023
YMCA Project Cornerstone, Asset Champions Awards - Community Values Youth [video link]
Elisabeth Floyd, HS junior, received Sunnyvale High School Student of the Year
Mila Bekele, San Jose team member received the City of San Jose Youth Climate Smart Champion award
30 students received Certificates of Commendation from Congressman Khanna, Senator Becker and Cortese for their climate work.
2022
SVYCA’s San Jose Youth Climate Action Team was Honored by the City of San Jose as a Climate Smart Champion, earning the “Youth Champion Award”
Sunnyvale team co-lead Natalia Esparza received Sunnyvale Student of the Year Award
SVYCA’s Sunnyvale Youth Climate Action Team received the City of Sunnyvale’s Environmental Achievement Award
23 student leaders received recognition from State Sen. Dave Cortese for their climate activism, [blog link]
Honored by the Santa Clara County League of Conservation Voters, [link]
2021
SVYCA’s Cupertino Youth Climate Action Team received the CREST Award for “Sustainability Champion” from the City of Cupertino
City of Sunnyvale selected Sunnyvale Team co-leads Kaushik Tota, Peri Plantenberg, Radhika Goel as “High School Student of the Year” for 2019, 2020, 2021, respectively
Peter Pham won the Brower Youth Award for organizing environmental and transit justice with Turnout4Transit [learn more and watch the video]
12 student leaders were honored and recognized for their advocacy work with Certificates of Commendation from Congressman Ro Khanna
22 students were recognized for their climate advocacy with Certificates of Commendation from State Sen. Dave Cortese
Addy Kopp received the “Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition” from Congresswoman Anna Eshoo
33 SVYCA student leaders earned Certificates of Recognition from Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) [link]
Gwyn Azar won SVCE’s short film competition for the “Climate Impact Short-film Award” [watch the video here]
Brandon Pan won SVCE’s short film competition for the “Community Enthusiasm Short-film Award” [watch the video here]
Peri Plantenberg was invited by Supervisor Ellenberg to give a invocational speech at the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors [watch the video here]
2020
Kaushik Tota received the Youth Game Changer Award in the Clean Energy Hall of Fame Awards
San Mateo County Team
American Climate Leadership Award for High School Students
YMCA Project Cornerstone, Asset Champions Awards
Community Values Youth, 2023
Sunnyvale's 2022 Environmental Achievement Award
Photo courtesy of FUHSD Trustee Rosa Kim
Peri Plantenberg
Sunnyvale High School Student of the Year 2020
Cupertino Youth Climate Action Team
The City of Cupertino’s CREST Award for Sustainability Champion of the Year 2021