Location

Sunnyvale

Team Mentors

Kristel Wickham

Peri Plantenberg

Student Leaders

Katherine Park

Sufee Kathane

Current Initiatives

1. Advocated for a year to establish a Youth Transit Pass in collaboration with the FUHSD and the VTA.

2. Research about Moffett Park Specific Plan, attend workshops to gain insights, develop an advocacy position, prepare public comments.

3. The Instagram team has been publishing “Thursday for Climate Change”, which are short stories that educate teen followers on simple personal actions they can take.

2025 Impact

• Passed Option 1 for buffered bike lanes on Hollenbeck, by the Sunnyvale City Council.

• Partnered with the Sunnyvale Public Library to create an original Zine (small magazine), The Boy and the ORANGE and distributed over 100 copies to kids and community members.

• Advocated and passed the FUHSD Climate Action Resolution at the District Board Meeting, securing an agreement to acknowledge and act on climate issues.

• Advocated and passed the FUHSD Environmental Education Policy at the District Board Meeting, establishing an environmental curriculum for all class subjects in the district and an annual Eco-anxiety survey for students.

• Worked with the Sunnyvale Environmental Services Department (ESD) to plan a teen clothing swap at the Sunnyvale Earth Day. (ongoing because Sunnyvale Earth Day was canceled due to rain, but we are still planning a clothing swap/thrift store)

• Organized a Sunnyvale Contingent for Make Polluters Pay on 3/28/2026 (No Kings Day) and collected over 80+ signatures.

2024 Impact

Current initiatives & Next steps

Green Businesses:

• Identified businesses

• Planning stages

Social Media:

• Planning stages

• Editing stages

Safe Routes to School:

• Presentation by adult advocate

• Tasman Drive

past accomplishments

• Organized successful Nonpartisan City Council Candidate Forum in October 2020 with 7 city council candidates, approximately 600 views through Facebook Live and live participants.

• The Sustainability Commission’s reach code recommendation to staff and the city council included the Sunnyvale team's recommendations, including the elimination of blanket exemptions and increased EV-readiness for both residential and nonresidential buildings.

• Successful reach code advocacy: the finalized reach codes passed with an EV infrastructure requirement significantly stronger than when the reach codes were first drafted, using some of the team’s recommendations.

• Active Transportation Plan (ATP) was approved including a number of Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC) recommendations, which SYCAT advocated for.

• Recognition from the City of Sunnyvale: Sunnyvale team co-lead, Peri Plantenberg received 2020 Sunnyvale High School Student of the Year. Sunnyvale team advisor Kristel Wickham received Environmental Achievement.