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Valley Water Youth Commission

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The Valley Water Youth Commission is made up of 21 high school students throughout Santa Clara County, each appointed by one of the seven board members. It is an official board advisory committee that assists the board with public policy, education, outreach, and other matters impacting Santa Clara County youth. The Youth Commission meets quarterly and each commissioner serves a 2-year term. 

The Youth Commission is currently full and the application period will begin in June 2024. If you would like to be notified when the application period begins, please complete the interest form here: surveymonkey.com/r/VWYCinterest.

Eligibility requirements:

Applicants must meet all requirements listed below.

  • High school student
  • 13-18 years old
  • Resident of Santa Clara County in districts with vacancies
  • Able to commit 5 hours per month
  • Available to attend in-person meetings and events, including quarterly meetings on Wednesday evenings at Valley Water headquarters (5700 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA 95118)

Find your district:
Find your home address in the Local Information map and expand the SCVWD Board of Directors Districts section. If you see multiple districts listed, find the one that is zero miles ("0 mi" on the map) from your address.

 

For meeting agendas and minutes, visit the Board Advisory Committee page: valleywater.org/how-we-operate/committees/board-advisory-committees.

Events

Countywide

National River Cleanup Day: May 18, 2024. For more information, visit cleanacreek.org/upcoming-events.

 

Youth Commission meetings

April 17, 2024: Quarter 4 meeting

Meet the Youth Commissioners

District 1

ISHAAN MANDALA

Silver Creek High School | Class of 2026

ANA TORRICO
Gilroy High School | Class of 2024

Working groups: Job Shadowing and Mentorship

LORELEI HENRY
Ann Sobrato High School | Class of 2025

Working groups: Creek Stewardship

District 2

EMMA GAO
The Harker School | Class of 2024

Working groups: Youth Community Science Network

Youth Commission Chair

NIHARIKA KODURU
Wilcox High School | Class of 2025

 

CA NHA DANG
Notre Dame high School | Class of 2025

District 3

ANIKA KULKARNI
Notre Dame High School | Class of 2024

Working groups: Job Shadowing & Mentorship, Youth Community Science Network

PARNIKA SADHU
Milpitas High School | Class of 2027

Working groups: Youth Community Science Network

IVAN ZHANG
Basis Independent Silicon Valley | Class of 2024

Working groups: Job Shadowing & Mentorship

District 4

AGATA BAK
Branham High School | Class of 2026

Working groups: Creek Stewardship

SAIRAMA KAKULAPATI
Westmont High School | Class of 2024

Working groups: Job Shadowing & Mentorship

BRYAN BLAIR
Leigh High School | Class of 2025

Working group: Creek Stewardship

District 5

DAPHNE ZHU
Lynbrook High School | Class of 2025

Working groups: Creek Stewardship, Youth Community Science Network

Youth Commission Vice Chair

SOPHIE BECK
Archbishop Mitty High School | Class of 2024

Working groups: Creek Stewardship

GRACE LIU
Saratoga High School | Class of 2025

Working groups: Creek Stewardship, Youth Community Science Network

District 6

NEIL DEY GHOSH
Archbishop Mitty High School | Class of 2024

Working groups: Creek Stewardship

JONATHAN LOPEZ
Bellarmine College Preparatory | Class of 2025

Working groups: Public Art, Job Shadowing & Mentorship

SAMUEL ALVAREZ
Bellarmine College Preperatory | Class of 2024

District 7

ODED BRONICKI
Homestead High School | Class of 2025

Working groups: Public Art

MAITREYA BANERJEE
Homestead High School | Class of 2025

Working groups: Creek Stewardship, Youth Community Science Network

PATRICK VAN KERCKHOVE
Kehillah Jewish High School | Class of 2024

Working groups: Job Shadowing & Mentorship, Youth Community Science Network

Working Groups

Purified Water Youth Outreach

The Purified Water Youth Outreach Working Group aims to educate youth about advanced water purification processes and technologies and to garner support for the use of purified water in Santa Clara County.

Creek Stewardship Working Group

The Creek Stewardship group plays an essential role in helping the community take action and responsibility for our local creeks. Members can participate, promote, and come up with creative ways to engage the community in large events. On a smaller but more involved scale, you can help Valley Water develop a better system to recruit volunteers for the Adopt-A-Creek program or adopt a creek yourself! There’s a lot of room for creativity and improvement to give the community a strong sense that they can be part of the litter solution in our creeks. Plus, you can get outside and see the visible difference you are making!

Career Day Working Group

The Career Day (previously known as Job Shadowing and Mentorship) group supports the annual Youth Commission-sponsored Valley Water Career Day (previously known as Job Shadow Day). Career Day offers high school students a chance to see what it is like working in a specific job or area of interest in the water industry. This group is responsible for social media promotion and school outreach to help spread the word on the various issues related to water, the environment, and stewardship that impact young people.

Youth Community Science Network Working Group

The members of the Youth Community Science Network Working Group (YCSN) are passionate about science, and are working to promote community science opportunities to youth and the wider community throughout Santa Clara County

Community Science, also known as Citizen Science, is a global movement that provides opportunities for the public to make observations and collect data about the natural world. These observations contribute vital data to scientific projects and research that help scientists to answer some of the biggest questions we are facing today, such as “Project Budburst” that helps scientists to study the effects of climate change on plants and animals.

Did you know that there are many organizations here in Santa Clara County, throughout the US, and across the globe, that host and support community science events? Find out how you can get involved and become a community scientist by clicking on the links below:

Organizations that support Community Science

Organizations that support Community Science

California Academy of Sciences

CitizenScience.gov

City Nature Challenge
CitizenScience.gov
CuriOdyssey

EarthEcho International

Grassroots Ecology

Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society

Snapshot Cal Coast Youth Science Institute

Apps that support Community Science

Apps that support Community Science:

Seek by iNaturalist

 

 
     

 

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