Awards and Recognition

2025

SVYCA was selected as a top-ten finalist for the 2025 American Climate Leadership Award by ecoAmerica.
SVYCA Action Team Members received Certificate of Commendations from Former Mountain View Mayor and newly elected Santa Clara County Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga at our 2025 Green New Year Celebration.

32 Climate Leadership Academy Graduates were honored with Certificates of Recognition by Congressman Ro Khanna at our 2025 IMPACT Summit.

SVYCA 2025-26 Youth Directors, Sarah Adkar and Katherine Park, were honored with Gold Award Certificates of Recognition from the California Secretary of State’s Office at our 2025 IMPACT Summit.
SVYCA was presented with a Commendation from the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors at our 2025 IMPACT Summit.

San Jose and Nature-based Solutions teams Co-leader Mani Bekele was awarded San Jose Youth Climate Smart Champion Award.
San Mateo County Team received a proclamation announcing April 22 as Earth Day from the City of Menlo Park.
San Mateo County Co-Lead Jayden Wan featured in Peninsula Clean Energy’s 2025 Reach Codes Progress Video, which was released at 2025 Sustainable San Mateo County Awards Night.
We had not one, but TWO, SVYCA members receive the Presidential Community Hero Awards during the Santa Clara Board of Supervisors State of the County 2025 Program! Congratulations to San Jose and Nature-Based Action team Co-Lead Daphne Zhu and youth leader Elisa Floyd.

San Mateo County Team was selected as a finalist for the inaugural American Climate Leadership Award for High School Students 2024.
San Jose Action Team Co-Lead Daphne Zhu (Class of 2029) was named the 2024 San Jose Climate Smart Champion of the Year.
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 (Class of 2028) appointed to the San Jose Climate Advisory Commission.

YMCA Project Cornerstone, Asset Champions Awards - Community Values Youth [video link].
Elisabeth Floyd (Class of 2024) received Sunnyvale High School Student of the Year.
Mila Bekele (Class of 2023) 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.

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]

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].

Kaushik Tota received the Youth Game Changer Award in the Clean Energy Hall of Fame Awards

Monica Mallon received a Senate District 15 Woman of the Year Award from Sen. Jim Beall.