Sahithi Pingali, 16 Bangalore, India
“I started more on the activism side. But I found it really hard to get the kind of data I needed regarding what pollution is actually happening, which is why I got into science.”

“Water and the earth, we all share them. With the environment, you see the same issues repeated across the world. It’s inevitably our job as the next generation to tackle this. The people who are approaching this through the eye of science are the people who can fix it and who are going to fix it.”

“When you look at like kids, I think in developing countries they get more connected to the environmental issues.”

“Bangalore was once known as the city of 1,000 lakes, but now it’s known as the Silicon Valley of India, and now there’s only around 93 lakes.”

Discussion Prompts:

● What words come to mind to describe Sahithi and her project and commitment?

● What is the connection between science and activism?

● Why does Sahithi think it’s important for the next generation to tackle environmental issues?

● Why might kids in developing countries get more involved in environmental issues?

Jared Goodwin, Hilo, Hawaii
“Growing up I always heard the terms ‘arsenic’, ‘contamination’ and ‘dangerous’, but I was never really told how it got in the soil.”

“Well grandma, if it weren’t for you I wouldn’t have got into this project.”

Discussion Questions

● Why is the relationship we see between Jared, his family, and the environment so important? Why is his project so personal?

● Is a personal relationship to a research topic necessary, important, or a distraction?

Fernando Miguel Sanchez Villalobos Monterrey, Mexico
“Monterrey has lots of problems with air pollution. But it really affected me the most when my uncle died from a respiratory disease.”

Discussion Questions

● Why might kids in developing countries get more involved in environmental issues?

● What recommendations would you make for companies or the government to deal with pollution?

● Explain the connection between pollution and health.