Agriculture and Food

Just 15 years old, this remarkable sophomore at The Nueva School is making waves in the areas of environmental advocacy and social justice through her passion for video storytelling. Her commitment to inspiring others and mobilizing communities has earned her our first-ever Youth Sustainability Award. Kayla is a stand-out leader at her school, where she organizes impactful initiatives for her fellow students in the Environmental Club, including the Eco-Action Raisers event that empowers 300 students and teachers to take tangible action for the environment. She has also served as Nueva’s Social Justice Chair, organizing workshops and guest speakers to enrich [...]

The Ruth Peterson Award, established in memory of a dedicated SSMC leader and given to an invaluable SSMC volunteer, will be presented to Bernard Bruand. Bernard does not shy away from the complex and global nature of climate change and building a sustainable community. He was born in France and graduated from Lyon University with a degree in electronics and electro-mechanics. After working for 40 years with Hewlett Packard in France, Germany, Singapore and California, Bernard retired in 2012 and decided to focus on contributing to society. He had a special interest in sustainability and joined the San Mateo [...]

The Youth Climate Ambassadors (YCA) Leadership Program is a first of its kind in California. The program is a knowledge-to-action seven-month long leadership program that provides 9-12th grade students in San Mateo County the opportunity to explore social and environmental issues contributing to the global climate crisis. Over the past five years, 273 students have participated in the program. Participants increase their knowledge on climate change and build communication and other professional skills through a series of 10 workshops and retreats. Their work culminates with a Community Impact Project that is youth-created and youth-led and designed to translate knowledge and [...]