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. They can earn community service hours, make new friends, and enjoy complimentary dinners at quarterly meetings. The Youth Commission meets quarterly and each commissioner serves a 2-year term.
The application period is now closed and will open again in Spring 2025. If you would like to be notified when the application period opens, please complete the Youth Commission Interest Form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YCinterestFY26.
Eligibility requirements:
Applicants must meet all requirements listed below.
- 13-18 years old
- Attending high school in Santa Clara County
- Resident of Santa Clara County
- 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.
Youth Commission meetings
Tentative Dates:
August 21, 2024
November 20, 2024
January 29, 2025
April 23, 2025
District 1
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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 Working groups: Creek Stewardship |
District 2
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| 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
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CA NHA DANG Notre Dame high School | Class of 2025 |
District 3
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| ANIKA KULKARNI Notre Dame High School | Class of 2024 Working groups: Job Shadowing & Mentorship, Youth Community Science Network |
PARNIKA SADHU Working groups: Youth Community Science Network |
IVAN ZHANG Basis Independent Silicon Valley | Class of 2024 Working groups: Job Shadowing & Mentorship |
District 4
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| 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
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| DAPHNE ZHU Lynbrook High School | Class of 2025 Working groups: Creek Stewardship, Youth Community Science Network Youth Commission Vice Chair |
SOPHIE BECK Working groups: Creek Stewardship |
GRACE LIU Working groups: Creek Stewardship, Youth Community Science Network |
District 6
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| 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 Preparatory | Class of 2024 |
District 7
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| 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 |
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 |
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CitizenScience.gov |  |
| CuriOdyssey |
EarthEcho International |
Grassroots Ecology |
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Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society |
Snapshot Cal Coast | Youth Science Institute |
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Apps that support Community Science
Articles
- How you can help keep creeks clean in Santa Clara County
- Adopt-A-Bench Public Arts Project with the Youth Commission
- 2021 Job Shadow Day
- Water Matters: A Family Affair
- High School Students Learn About Careers in Water at Job Shadow Day
- We Want You (Th)! Open Seats on Youth Commission For High School Students
- What’s in A Drop – A Youth Commissioner’s View
- Seeking Youth Water Leaders
- Developing the Next Generation Of Water Resources Stewards
Contact Information
For questions or more info email us at [email protected].