Climate Fellowship Impacts: Two California Teens Donate Over 150 Pairs of Shoes
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Climate Fellowship Impacts: Two California Teens Donate Over 150 Pairs of Shoes

Meet Audrey and Hanna from California! They were project partners in the third cycle of the Climate Leaders Fellowship program. The last cycle recently finished after two months of incredible work by hundreds of students around the world.

They researched climate change effects in their communities and launched donation drives to benefit local organizations. The students formed partnerships, compared ideas and overcame obstacles together.

The online program is offered in a collaboration between the Stanford University Deliberative Democracy Lab and the Rustic Pathways Foundation.

Learn how Audrey and Hanna implemented their project and donated over 150 pairs of shoes to  homeless shelters in their interviews below!


Audrey Hsu
Age 15
Saint Francis High School
Fremont, California

Tell us about your Fellowship project!

For my fellowship project, I worked with my partner, Hanna, to donate clean shoes to the homeless community in the Bay Area.

As climate change becomes more severe, the homeless are put in a difficult situation as they must face extreme weather without adequate shelter and protection. To help this vulnerable community, we chose to donate clean, gently used shoes; shoes can protect them from the hot cement pavement during scorching summers and the bitter cold in the winter.

To carry out this project, I advertised at my school and throughout my neighborhood. I passed out 100+ flyers in my neighborhood, and I organized a pickup date and time where I went around my neighborhood to pick up shoe donations.

Hanna, on the other hand, also advertised and set up donation boxes in busy areas around her community. Altogether, we donated 155 pairs of shoes to homeless shelters.

How did participating in the Climate Leaders Fellowship make you feel?

Participating in the Climate Leaders Fellowship was a very rewarding experience for me. I loved working with other like-minded peers, hearing about other projects, and being able to network with students from across the globe.

I am proud of our results; throughout the project, there were a few hurdles and challenges, however, through collaboration, my partner and I were able to persist through and meet our end goals.

What do you enjoy doing for fun? Do you have any ideas about your future career aspirations?

In my free time, I love reading and learning about environmental related topics, especially environmental science; my favorite hobby is to blog about the environment on my WordPress website. I enjoy learning about how scientists are drawing inspiration from nature to create solutions, and I am devoted to helping society move towards a more sustainable future.

Outside of school, I am the president and co-founder of a youth-led, international organization focused on environmental sustainability, named Everything Starts Small. I am also committed to research in the study of environmental science.

In school, I am a part of the Environmental Club, Women in STEM Club, Student Council, and President’s Council — a group of students who work closely with the board members of my school.

In college, I plan to major in Earth Science and Engineering or Earth Systems. I am interested in a lot of careers, but ultimately I hope my future career will help society become more sustainable (and non-disruptively co-exist with Mother Nature).

Do you have advice for other students who want to make a positive impact? 

My advice is to trust in your abilities and believe that you can make a difference. Age is no limit, and even when things do not go as planned, persistence will guide you to reach your goals.

Hanna Johnson
Age 16
Deer Valley High School
Antioch, California

Tell us about your Fellowship project!

My partner, Audrey, and I, planned on implementing a shoe drive for our project. Because we lived in different cities, we planned our project together but had to execute the drive on our own.

I set up multiple donation bins around my community, including my school–where I fostered involvement for the drive through a community service club–and I also set up bins at my local karate dojo and community center. Thankfully, these centers were very welcoming to the idea and were the only way I was able to have such a successful drive. Overall, I had about 115 pairs of shoes by the end.

How did participating in the Climate Leaders Fellowship make you feel?

I’m very proud of my results. I never thought I would be able to get so much participation from my community, and it makes me very happy to know people still care about helping others out.

What do you enjoy doing for fun? Do you have any ideas about your future career aspirations?

I’m an avid runner. I do track and cross country and I also run half marathons. I enjoy baking and going out.

I’m a little unsure on my career pathway. For the moment, I am considering aerospace engineering, but I have aspirations to always continue to contribute to society.

Do you have advice for other students who want to make a positive impact? 

My advice would be that students who want to make an impact need to step out of their comfort zone and realize how much of a positive effect they can have.

It’s easy to get caught up in what-ifs and a mindset that tells you a positive impact must be huge, but in reality, the smallest acts can sometimes mean the most–and you have to start somewhere.

Give yourself the opportunity to learn how much of a difference you can make and go from there.


The next fellowship cycle launches in March, and the application deadline is February 5.  For more information and to sign up, please visit our Climate Leaders Fellowship program page.

About the Author

Kayla Anzalone

Kayla joined Rustic Pathways in 2020 as the Director of Special Projects. She has nearly a decade of experience in communications and marketing. At Rustic Pathways, Kayla is dedicated to helping high school students discover their passion for exploring the world through summer travel programs. She drives impactful initiatives to empower students through meaningful travel experiences worldwide. Based in San Jose, California, Kayla loves the outdoors, live music and travel.