Inside a classroom, the club members of Paly Enviromental and Medicine club are actively reflecting on what they did well or things they can improve on for their recent effort in spreading environmental awareness at local elementary schools. It is only the one of many events that the presidents have planned for this year.
Sophomore Anika Dephande, the co-president of the Paly EnvMed club, said that the initiative to create this club is to bridge the gap with the fallout in climate advocacy within the Palo Alto Unified School District since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Since COVID, it [education on sustainability] hasn’t really ramped up to the point at which we would want to,” Dephande said. “We thought we be that change and push for the district to imple- ment more changes and increase education in our youth.”
Last year, in an effort to spread awareness to the younger generation, the club hosted a climate workshop at Palo Verde
Elementary School with 72 third graders. “We are able to go through a presentation about our club and what we do, and how eating healthy helps the environment and public health,” Dephande said. “We also did a sprouting activity.”
Outside of the school level, the club also advocates for sustainability at the Palo Alto Unified School District’s office. According to Dephande, the group has successfully pushed forward the creation of sustainability manager, a position that the district is now in the process of filling.
Dephande and Sidharth Iyer, the president of the Paly EnvMed Club, said that they are continuing the elementary school program this year but making it bigger.
“We are planning on making it [the outreach program] a little bigger,” Iyer said. “[…] we just talked to the Walter Hays principal, and we’re planning on presenting it to the fourth and fifth graders.”
The club also attempts to reach an audience beyond elementary school. Dephande said they are hoping to reach middle schools this year as well.
“I think one of our biggest goals is eventually we want to break into middle school,” Dephande said.
In effiort to reach their high school audience, the club uses its presence on social media. To ensure their impacts on sustainability and environmental protection last, Iyer and Dephande take a two-way approach.
“We’re only here for four years, [but] the district will have structural changes that will last for a really long time,” Dephande said.
Beside imposing structural changes in district, they also educates younger generation to continues their effort.
Iyer said they hope the momentum from their visit to elementary schools and middle schools will be able to inspire those students to start or continue the club when they reach high school. Finally, Dephande said that the club is for anyone who wishes to participate in increasing sustainability within their community, with a bonus of earning volunteer hours.
“They [club members] will be able to participate in a lot of events and be the change”, Dephande said. “They will be able to see a tangible change in Palo Alto and especially in PAUSD.”
