About the Founder

Pavan Raj Gowda has always been a passionate environmentalist which was noticeable since he was 4 years old. He founded Green Kids Now, when he was just 8 years old. When he was in second grade, he wrote a story called The Two Lakes in order to show the consequences of our actions and how the entire community should join together and care for the environment. At the age of 10, he organized the first Green Kids Conference, which was sponsored by Microsoft Corporation. This conference is dedicated to children to help them learn about the environmental issues, and the resources available to them for taking action. It is also a way to inspire, motivate, and encourage kids to become leaders and innovators.

Pavan also formulated a very thorough program for schools, called the Green Star School Awards Program. The uniqueness of this program is that it prepares students to go in the path of innovation using Environmental Science, Biomimicry, Green Chemistry, Project Management, and STEM(Science Technology Engineering Mathematics), while also incorporating leadership, team work, and collaboration.

When he was 12 years old, he published his second book, Geckoboy-The Battle of Fracking, which is the first children science fiction based on Biomimicry, in which he has also included science facts at the end, to help provide more details to the readers. He also write blogs for many other environmental organizations, as well as publish blogs on his organization’s blog sites.

As a global reporter, he has created environmental focused radio segments, which gets broadcasted in Australia. As a youth speaker, he has participated in various science events, conferences, school assemblies, classrooms, and delivered information about Biomimicry, Green Chemistry, and importance of Environmental Science, Plastics, Zero Waste, Climate Reality, and many other sustainability topics.

Pavan has proposed the 3 New R’s for our path forward, which are Rethink, Redesign, and Restore with environmental sustainability in the core of everything we do. He believes that these 3 new R’s will provide us with new vision and approaches to solve the challenges around us.

As a Climate Leader he is very focused on being part of the solution by building responsible innovators, and showing his generation that Innovation and Environmental Sustainability should not be considered separately. The solutions to our environmental issues have to be addressed at the source, and he strongly believes that science and technology solutions will be the only way to resolve these issues at the source.

He is a leader who likes to live by example, and works in collaboration to make a bigger impact.

To request Climate Leader, Pavan Raj Gowda for a presentation,

please send email to: info(at)greenkidsnow.org

ABC7News-President’s Environmental Youth Award

Two Tales from a Kid – Book Launch at Barnes and Nobles bookstore – June 17, 2010

This video gives a view on the beginning stages of Green Kids Now, and Pavan’s passion for the environment in those early years.

Pavan Gowda’s LinkedIn Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/pavangowda

Academics:

Student at University of California, Berkeley – 2018 to 2022

Awards and Recognitions:

For Leadership and Environmental Stewardship:

2015 – Mentor for Climate Leaders
2014 – Climate Leader
2014 – Kohl’s Kids Who Cares Scholarship Program – Local winner
2013 – Helios Young ChangeMaker Award
2013 – John Muir Association’s Youth Environmental Education Conservation Award
2013 – “First Here, Then Everywhere” initiative founded by a Harvard student – Featured Youth Leader
2012 – Environmental Protection Agency’s President’s Environmental Youth Award
2012 – Recognition Certificate from the President of the United States
2012 – Action for Nature’s International Young Eco-Hero Award
2011 – School Broadcasting Network’s International Youth Award
2010 – Kohl’s Kids Who Cares Scholarship Program – Store-level winner

More Information on Awards and Recognitions:

November 2014 – Climate Reality Leadership Corps – Brazil training completion:

2014 – Kohl’s Award – Local Winner:

2013 – Helios Young ChangeMaker Award:

Pavan was invited by Helios New School, a Private school for gifted children in Palo Alto, CA, and he was awarded “Helios Young ChangeMaker Award”. A kid, named Kevin (10 years old) had nominated Pavan for this award, and he had written about Pavan. You can read it at: https://sites.google.com/a/heliosns.org/changemakers/pavan-raj-gowda

Don’t forget to read the section, “Why I nominated Pavan Raj Gowda” from the link above.

Here’s the cut-out of Pavan made by Kevin:

Pavan-cut-out-Kevin

Here is Pavan’s “Thank You” note at this event:

2012 – President’s Environmental Youth Award winner:

EPA Announcement: Fremont, Calif., Student Honored with President’s Environmental Youth Award EPA Press release on the day of award ceremony: U.S. Rep. Swalwell, EPA Regional Administrator Honor Fremont, Calif. Student with Presidential Award

PEYA-for-web

Picture: Pavan with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Regional Administrator, Jared Blumenfeld and Congressman, California Rep. Eric Swalwell More Press Releases: Environmental-Expert.com: Read the Press Release online or in pdf format TriCity Voice Newspaper: April 23, 2013 issue. Front page photo teaser and article on page 11: http://www.tricityvoice.com/displayPages.php?issue=2013-04-23&page=1 http://www.tricityvoice.com/displayPages.php?issue=2013-04-23&page=11 ABC7News: Fremont boy wins prestigious national award Read online or in pdf format Argus/MercuryNews: Fremont teen wins green awards, on mission to help the environment: Read online or in pdf format

2013 – John Muir Association’s special recognition: “Youth Environmental Education Conservation Award”

Award ceremony was held on April 20th, 2013 on 175th John Muir’s Birthday / Earth Day celebration at John Muir Historical Park, Martinez, CA.

JM-1-96dpi Picture: Picture: left to right: JoAnne Dunec (President, John Muir Association), Pavan Raj Gowda, Tom Leatherman (General Superintendent, Contra Costa County), and George Miller (Congressman)

Pavan-RobertHanna-96dpi Picture: Pavan Raj Gowda with Robert Hanna (great, great, grandson of John Muir)

Recognition from the President of the United States

PresidentRecognition

Action for Nature – 2012 International Young Eco-Hero Award

ActionForNature

Tri-City Voice Newspaper article : The article on Pavan’s Eco Hero award recognition was published on June 15 weekend edition. There is a teaser photo at the top of the front page and the article can be found on page 7: http://www.tricityvoice.com/displayPages.php?issue=2012-06-15&page=1 http://www.tricityvoice.com/displayPages.php?issue=2012-06-15&page=7 Pavan’s Speech at 2012 International EcoHeros Reception: