“The environment is the base of life. It is our home, the source of our home, and where we breathe.”– Ally Zhu, Paly HS 10th Grader
“A sunset is one of the most magical things in Palo Alto, which people can watch everyday. It allows me to relax after a long day at school”- Janis Iourovitski, Gunn HS Sophmore
“ We are but a small part of what makes up this universe, and we should not forget that”- Ailyn Tong, Palo Alto teen
If you want to know how Palo Alto teens are making sense of their world, nature and technology, ask the young people who attended last week’s reception for the #PaloAltoGotGreen contest, which was sponsored by Project Enybody. The Paly and Gunn students behind this group (the Earth Needs You), are spreading the word that anyone can make a difference for the local environment in Palo Alto. The reception was attended by the students who submitted art and words for the contest, along with community leaders and environmental educators.
Vivian Young, a freshman at Palo Alto High School, won first prize in #PAGotGreen’s contest with her striking illustration that focused on the dangers on overfishing.
“With our effort and care even something so fragile can grow into something that is so stunning and spectacular. Here in Palo Alto, with tender hands, we can all achieve great things.”
These are are the words of Palo Alto eighth grader Renle Chu, who won second place in the #PaloAltoGotGreen contest for a drawing of two hands holding a flower:
Annie Zhou, a freshmen at Palo Alto High School, took third place for photograph that substituted a green plant stem for a highlighter, saying “A pleasant environment is the foundation to a great mood.”
Annie Zhou, 9th grader at Paly, won third place
“In my work, I showed a representation of taking a break from man-made technology to just enjoy nature,” said Maurice Wang, an eighth grader at Jordan, whose submission included a simple drawing of a tree and a child playing.
Maurice Wang’s artwork focused on the importance of nature over technology
“My drawing is based on how we should recycle and make our community a better place,” said Alice On, a sophomore at Palo Alto High School, whose drawing highlighted the impact of global warming on polar bears and other animals. Her description read, “I want children in the future to know about many animals and landforms in our earth that are slowly disappearing.”
Alice On’s drawing depicted the dangers of global warming
“My artwork was influenced by the recent oil spills,” explained Neelay Junnarkar, a sophomore at Palo Alto High School, who submitted a piece that focused on the ocean.
Artwork by Neelan Junnarkar, 10th grader
Other students won categorical prizes, such as “Most Entertaining” or “Most Heartfelt” or “Most Informative.”
#PaloAltoGotGreen winners proudly display their certificates
In addition to the awards, the #PaloAltoGotGreen contest also featured a number of local environmental leaders, who shared their thoughts about how Palo Altans can reduce their impact. Peter Drekmeier, a former Palo Alto mayor and policy director of the Tuolomne River Trust opened the event by sharing his experiences as a local environmental leader, and his vision for restoring the watershed and preserving clean rivers.
Palo Alto’s Zero Waste Program, represented by Maybo AuYeung, provided information about how Palo Altans can reduce, reuse, recycle to help the City reach its goal of virtually eliminating waste.
The audience was encouraged to plant and take care of trees as a tool for aiding the environment by Maika Horjus, the outreach director local non-profit Canopy, which aims to “bring the life-giving benefits of trees to the schools, neighborhoods, and public spaces of the San Francisco Mid-Peninsula.”
“I thought this was a really fantastic event to showcase the passion and initiative of the Palo Alto youth,” Horjus said. “This reception will inspire and empower more people to benefit their community and the environment.”
Palo Alto Unified School District closed the presentations with a video from Rebecca Navarro that focused on how students
#PaloAltoGotGreen artists explain their work to the audience at Mitchell Park
can help reduce their environmental impact at home.
Palo Alto City Council Representative Pat Burt also attended the reception to show his support for youth leadership. “I thought the reception was really great, youth-driven, and informative,” he said. “It was an especially creative idea to come up with the artistic awards.”
But it was really the kids whose words and ideas were most compelling throughout the reception. As Vivian Young, the winner of #PaloAltoGotGreen contest expressed so well about the future of Palo Alto, “We must maintain a balanced community in which the consumers do not exploit the consumed.”
To learn more about Project Enybody, visit the group’s website. To see a full slideshow of all the art and ideas submitted to #PaloAltoGotGreen, follow this link.
Text and photos contributed by Emily Cao, Palo Alto Pulse youth reporter
