Meet the ACE Youth Advisory Board!

We are proud to have four inspirational young climate leaders advising ACE on our organization and programs. 
 

In their own words, here is their mission statement: The ACE Youth Advisory Board strives to use its experiences with climate action to provide a youth perspective on ACE programs and inspire other youth to take initiative. 

Shreya Indukuri

 Shreya is currently a sophomore attending the Harker Upper School in San Jose, CA. She started becoming really interested in climate change when she joined the Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) in 2008 . But, her environmental commitment began her freshmen year of high school, when she applied for an ACE grant with Daniela Lapidous after seeing an ACE presentation. Shreya and Daniela's grant would help install smart meters, install window insulating film, grow an organic garden, and inspire students at their school to commit themselves to reducing their carbon footprint! After being awarded the ACE grant and a successful installation of smart energy meters at the lower school, Shreya was invited to be one of the 25 youth climate leaders to attend the Governor's Global Climate Summit in Los Angeles in September. Shreya and Daniela were also filmed by UNICEF in the U.S portion of a documentary on youth activism in global climate change. She is committed to creating a sustainable future for her generation along with future generations because she believes that solutions exist, and there is no reason to wait. Aside from her collaborations with ACE, she co-founded SmartPowerEd.org with Daniela and Alexis Ringwald, their mentor from Valence Energy. The recently created organization aims to create smart energy schools by linking schools with smart energy systems that save both carbon emissions and energy costs, and they are expanding their program across schools everywhere in the Bay Area. Amidst her school and environmental commitments, Shreya is either oil-painting, blogging, watching movies, debating, volunteering or hanging out with her awesome friends and family. 

Daniela Lapidous

Daniela is currently a sophomore from the Harker Upper School in San Jose, CA. Her environmental adventures really got kicked-off in 2009, when she applied for an ACE grant with Shreya Indukuri to install smart energy meters, grow an organic garden, and inspire students at her school! Amid a whirlwind of learning and planning, she had the good fortune of attending the inspirational Governor's Global Climate Summit in Los Angeles in September. She truly believes that the world's younger generation has the responsibility to protect our futures, starting right now. Besides collaborating with ACE, she is working with Shreya and Alexis Ringwald, their mentor from Valence Energy, on SmartPowerEd.org. They recently created this organization to link schools with smart energy systems that save both carbon emissions and energy costs, and they hope to expand their reach this year!

Alec Loorz, Youth Advisory Board Leader

Alec Loorz, 15, is the founder of the non-profit, Kids vs. Global Warming.   The youngest (as of now!) trained presenter of Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth presentation, he has been reaching out to his peers since he was 12 with the message that kids can make a difference in the climate crisis. He is a powerful and dynamic speaker who has spoken to over 20,000 people throughout the nation. He has launched several grassroots projects, linking science and art with youth empowerment. The winner of numerous environmental awards including the 2009 Brower Youth Award, he has become one of the most passionate voices for climate justice and action, representing the under-18 youth climate movement. In 2010, Alec and Kids vs Global Warming is organizing a Million Kid March called "iMatter: One Million Kids Stand Up for Their Planet."   Alec is a sought-after speaker for national conferences and regional events. He is also available for school presentations in Southern California.

Adarsha Shivakumar

Adarsha Shivakumar is 16 years old high school Junior who attends the College Preparatory School in Oakland, CA.  He is an environmental enthusiast who recognized the complex relationship between the environment and rural Indian economy and cofounded Project Jatropha when he was 14 years old. Project Jatropha is an international nonprofit collaboration dedicated to promoting the plant Jatropha curcas as an ecologically friendly and economically sustainable source of biofuel, beginning in rural India and eventually in other developing countries where the project can be applied. Under Adarsha's leadership the team has planted more than 15,000 Jatropha, Teak, Silver Oak and Pongamia seedlings involving scores of farmers in two villages in Karnataka. They have won several national and international awards such as Gloria Barron prize, Brower award, International Young Eco Hero Award, and T4PE Gold Service Award.
Adarsha joined the ACE Youth Advisory Board in order to motivate youth across the globe about the importance of Climate Change. He hopes that environmentally conscious youth across the globe can spearhead a movement  that will eventually mitigate climate change from CO2 emissions and decrease the dependence on fossil fuels. He likes swimming, all things science, racquetball, and transhumanism.  He spends his free time by playing video games with his friends.