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Will Charouhis, a student at Ransom Everglades School, has been chosen as a part of Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots National Youth Council – a diverse group of young changemakers from across the United States. The group will meet in Plymouth, MA at The Farmhouse this June for a summit to drive youth empowerment and positive change locally and globally.
Local young changemaker Will Charouhis has been chosen as part of Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots Youth Council. Exemplary of Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, and UN Messenger of Peace, Will Charouhis and other young leaders are gathering in Plymouth Massachusetts to increase the impact they are already having across their communities in addressing issues ranging from food insecurity to global warming. The RSYC 2023 Summer Summit will be hosted at The Farmhouse, designed by entrepreneur Paul Krasinski as a place young people can gather to lead change in our world.
During the 2023 Summit, youth leaders will engage in sessions on how to be effective changemakers in their communities – and interact virtually with Dr. Goodall herself! Youth will unleash their potential to make policy change with training from Atlanta, Georgia’s Fruitful Community Foundation; learn about Indigenous place recognition from Brad Lopes, Director of Wampanoag and Indigenous Interpretation at Plimoth Patuxet; and take hands-on action to help rehabilitate seals with the National Marine Life Center.
At the Summit, support will be provided for expanding the work Will Charouhis is doing to protect our local community. Will is the founder of the Miami-based non-profit, Forces of Nature, leading the youngest organization in the world accredited by the United Nations Framework Convention in the fight against climate change. Not yet old enough to vote, Will has already planted more than 1100 mangroves, spearheaded hurricane relief efforts in Latin America, tracked the science behind COVID policy for the Ministry of the Bahamas, met with Barack Obama on sea-level rise affecting coastal communities, collaborated with Vice President Kamala Harris on the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act for Miami, provided climate education to 2500 youth in 16 countries, and pushed for the installation of solar panels at his school. An unexpected advocate with a quiet but relentless voice, Will’s leadership has extended to global stage, where he has paneled with environmental icon Dr. Goodall at COP26 on the power of youth, addressed world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on the need for climate literacy, and served as the keynote speaker to share his mangrove research with U.S. State Department visitors from as far away as Central Africa and Australia.
Will is pioneering research funded by a youth leadership grant from Roots & Shoots, artificially selecting mangroves to withstand ocean warming at a small lab space he procured at the SEA Aquarium Educational Center. Scaling up his A Million Mangroves Initiative, Will has shared his research by speaking at United Nations conferences this past year in NYC, Glasgow, Stockholm, Bonn, and Lisbon. Touting mangroves as nature’s best solution against climate change, he has already drawn in partners in Cameroon and Gabon, in the hopes of increasing restoration efforts along the Western African coast.
In recognition of his tireless efforts in service to his community, Will was the only youth in Miami-Dade County and one of the youngest in the country to be awarded this year’s Congressional Award Gold Medal with STEM recognition, the highest honor the United States Congress bestows upon youth civilians. He also received the Barron Environmental Prize for his mangrove conservation work and was recognized as a Young Social Impact Hero, and the inaugural FXB Climate Champion. His work is currently being featured in mini-documentaries by Inspiring Young Heros and Blue Missions.
While he is honored by the awards, Will’s focus remains acutely forward and solution-based. A firm believer in Dr. Goodall’s message of hope and all to action, Will believes it is past time for his generation to act. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly this past Fall, Will told world leaders: “Youth are the doers.” We are the “Yes we can thinkers. We are innovators. And we will change the world-if you let us.” He is already showing up-every day-leading his peers, and even the adults in our community, in creating a sustainable world.
About Will Charouhis – Will Charouhis is the founder of the We Are Forces of Nature, a non-profit working to halt climate change. Join in on Will’s Roots & Shoots action here, or learn more about climate solutions, Will can be reached at volunteer@weareforcesofnature.org or@WCharouhis or Linked In.
About Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots Youth Council – US (RSYC)– a hand-picked group of extraordinary Roots & Shoots members from all across the country – represents the Jane Goodall Institute’s commitment to turn hope into action. Throughout the RSYC Summer Summit 2023 and the year ahead, these 30 young leaders will work with Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) staff and field experts to unleash their potential and become the compassionate and driven individuals the world needs to take on the most complex issues of our time and build a better world for all. To learn more about Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots Youth Council – US, visit here.
About Roots & Shoots USA
Roots & Shoots provides the tools and support through the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) program to empower youth in all 50 states and over 65 countries to take action to make the world a better place. Learn more at rootsandshoots.org and follow us @rootsandshoots.
About the Jane Goodall Institute
The Jane Goodall Institute is a global community-centered conservation organization founded in 1977 that advances the vision and work of Dr. Jane Goodall. By inspiring action to conserve the natural world we all share, we improve the lives of people, other animals, and the environment. Learn more at janegoodall.org. Follow Jane and JGI at Facebook.com/JaneGoodall and @janegoodallinst on Instagram and Twitter.
