Elana Santana, Educator - New York City

Elana graduated from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie New York with a BA in Women’s Studies and Geography. She spent her junior year abroad traveling around the world learning about indigenous social and environmental justice movements in Mexico, India, New Zealand and Canada. It was on this trip that she saw first hand how our actions in the U.S. affect people in other parts of the world and how justice movements can work together to see change. 

Elana began working for ACE after spending a year in Oakland California where she worked as an educator with StopWaste.org teaching 4th and 5th grade public school students how to reduce their impact on the planet. She also served as the science and garden teacher for a middle school summer program called Aim High. 

Originally from Southern California, Elana spent her childhood years at the beach, swimming, body surfing, kayaking and collecting beach glass with her mom. She loves bouncing from sea to shining sea, visiting her family in the west and living in the east. 

When not working for ACE, Elana enjoys tending to her worm compost bin, finding treasures at thrift shops, and learning how to play the cello. 

Vernard Williams, Senior Educator - New York City

Vernard first became enthusiastic about the link between climate change and community involvement during his days as a 4-H youth in inner city Brooklyn. While attending Brooklyn Technical High School and competing against some of the best basketball players in New York City, Vernard planted trees, grew a community garden, and engaged in beautification projects alongside fellow 4-H youth.

The lessons Vernard learned from experiencing nature in New York heightened his passion for motivating youth and spearheaded his commitment to earning a Jurist Doctorate degree from Howard University School of Law—an institution noted for its leadership in civil and social right’s causes.

Vernard is an engaging speaker who has served the United States Court of Appeals as a staff attorney and has shared the stage, as a youth, with civic leaders such as Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa, and Mario Cuomo, past Governor of New York.

A Stony Brook University alumni devoted to helping young people discover their interconnection with the planet, Vernard is finalizing a novel chronicling how one tree and a single person’s dream can uplift the hopes of an entire community.