I am a 16-year old sophomore from Southern California. For my entire life I have wanted to make the world a better place. I have done community work through beach clean ups, tree plantings and other Roots & Shoots activities. When I returned from an immersion trip to Tanzania, I decided to do even more. I joined the California Youth Leadership Council and the National Youth Leadership Council and am currently working on a large southern California tree planting. I am also involved in Boy Scouts and 4H Club. I run cross country for school, and while running takes up a lot of time it gives me a chance to think about project ideas. I have earned the Vic Sweet award for my work in music. I reached the second highest rank in boy scouts and made it into the bioscience academy at my high school. I work hard at everything I do, and hope to work even harder after the Summit.

I am an honors student from the National University of Singapore. I am majoring in communications and New Media. In 2005 I was the Director of External Affairs in Sheares Hall. During my tenure I was in charge of a few community projects. I participated in coastal clean ups and was also in charge of organizing visits to old folks home and orphanages. I enjoy designing and creating new things and love to explore my creativity. People describe me as cheerful and optimistic. In my 23 years of life I have accomplished a lot. The most memorable accomplishment for me was to be part of the first Asian team to win an international business case competition in Latvia in May 2007. I am a very funny person and like to make people laugh because I believe that looks don't last, but humor does.

I am South African. When I was four I contracted polio and had sixteen unsuccessful surgeries, and during the seventeenth my right leg was amputated above the knee. I had to be educated at special schools for people with disabilities because mainstream schools in the townships would not take disabled children. I was given a prosthetic leg from the governmental hospital but it was uncomfortable and hurt. Eventually I wrote to newspapers asking for sponsorship and a month later was given my first proper artificial leg by a private company. I get a new leg every January. After leaving school I completed a computer programming course. I taught myself how to play the keyboard and am now teaching other children. I want to start an organization that helps disabled people play music. I am currently involved in making a CD about the environment with children and a professional producer. I love to help others and work at a local orphanage. I was captain of the school wheelchair basketball team. I was recognized in 2004 at the Gender Equity Workshop for introducing gender equity into my school, and was also awarded a certificate for leadership from Eskom in 2005.

I am a very outgoing girl and have many interests. I am a student at Sichuan University and am studying both Advertisement in Communication and Finance. Most of my community projects are about local rivers. I also have organized projects dealing with recycling batteries and reducing the use of plastic. In my free time I like to sing and travel. I am a singer in a band and sings at a friend's bar. I like R&B and folk music.

My English name is Jerry. I am now attending National Taiwan University and am in my third year of college. My favorite subjects are biology and chemistry. This past winter vacation, I spent time in Dr. Liou's laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology, Medical College of Georgia. I learned a lot and enjoyed my time there. I don't only study; I have joined my university's International Student Information Service Club and love to chat with foreign friends. After hearing Dr. Jane Goodall speak at my school I started a Roots & Shoots group. Since then I have done three major projects: recycling work in the dormitory, saving paper, and reducing the usage of disposable chopsticks and spoons in the cafeteria. I know that to get people interested the projects must be new and novel.

I graduate in July from Shanghai's Donghua University with a degree in Art Design. I like to draw and have studied Western art for a long time. I am also interested in learning more about nature, long-distance running, swimming and hiking. I have also participated in Roots & Shoots, RSPCA animal welfare workshop, Yellow Pages recycling, and the Live Earth concert. For the past year I have worked at the Shanghai Zoo in the Gorilla Facility. The book "Rare Shanghai" talks about my experience volunteering with the snare removal project. I met Dr. Jane Goodall in October 2006 and she encouraged me to follow my work and keep thinking big. I now work for the Wildlife Conservation Society as the Education Assistant. I started doing snare removal again and in January 2007 created the "tiger calendar" for the local people.

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I am a 23-year old Tanzanian. I enjoy playing basketball, traveling, drawing, doing graphics, visiting historical and conservational places, climbing mountains and listening to music. I am also a member of the Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania, Peace Child International and Roots & Shoots. As a member and leader of these clubs I organized different events, projects, field trips, fundraised, and training and workshops for teachers and students. As a Roots & Shoots member I have been awarded a certificate of membership.

I am South African living in Soweto. I obtained my degree in 2000. In 2001 I continued my studies at P.C. Training and Business College doing Tourism and Leisure Management. After two years I received a Galileo Computer Reservation Course certificate. In April 2002 I got a job as an administrator for Vivid Solution. I also work for SOMOHO, an NGO which is an environmental organization; I act as a tour guide.

I currently attend Western Connecticut State University as an Elementary Education and English major. I am involved with Kappa Chi Alpha sorority, Humanitarian travel club, and the Student Government Association as well as the Roots & Shoots club. I serve as the vice president of the club at her university. I am also an intern for the College Office in Western Connecticut. Through Roots & Shoots, I learned how to communicate and network with people all over the globe to achieve peace and positive change. I hope to get Roots & Shoots started in areas where my brothers live. The school systems they attend are in desperate need of positive change, and I believe that Roots & Shoots would be very helpful. In the past year I helped restore the Roots & Shoots club from having zero members to having seventeen members.

I am a Tanzanian living in the Arusha region. I am a college student taking a three-year advanced diploma in accounting at the Institute of Accounting Arusha. I have been working with Global Service Corps since April 2006 in the HIV/AIDS training project. I have gained a lot of experience working with community groups in both urban and rural areas. I also work with youth in schools and different vocational training institutions. I get to work with a large group of international volunteers. I am the treasure of the organization Youth Wings. This organization works with youth that partake in HIV/AIDS training, environmental conservation training and life skill straining. I am interested in reading, watching movies, riding bicycles, hiking, canoeing, playing basketball and soccer as well as chatting with friends. Through Global Service Corps, I was certified twice for participation and contribution to a summer camp in the summers of 2006 and 2007.

I am currently a junior at Scarborough High School in Scarborough, Maine. I have a lot of experience in community projects. I helped plan a garden in Cape Cod. I am also involved in the Rotary Club. I participated in the senior picnic for senior citizens in a nursing home. I created my own family Roots & Shoots group which includes my mother, father, and brother. I am part of the Environmental Club of Scarborough. I play hockey and am a member of the Gay-Straight Alliance. I have earned several awards such as Student of the Quarter for Rotary, honor roll, most improved player, team leader and was given the opportunity to go to England, Ireland and Wales through the People to People program.

I am a 15-year old who will be celebrating her birthday at theSummit. I attend Al Raby High School on the Westside of Chicago, Illinois, and I am a sophomore. Currently, I rank number third out of 149 students. I have particip ated in the Youth Leadership Conference at the Garfield Park Conservatory, and also volunteer at a HIV/AIDS conference. My future goals are to go to the University of Illinois and major in Childhood Education.

I am a senior at Hawken School. In seventh grade I founded Save our Stream (SOS), an environmental education initiative. Through SOS I have made presentations to students, teachers and community groups across northeastern Ohio. This is an effort to protect the habitat of the threatened native Ohio Brook Trout, and reduce runoff pollution. I have organized the planting of thousands of trees near local rivers and developed a science curriculum which is now used in several schools. I have written a book on the plight of the native Ohio Brook Trout. The book has been transcribed into Braille and audio forms for students with disabilities. I received over $38,000 in grants and received around 20 awards for SOS. These awards include Top High School Volunteer in Ohio from the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, the Brower Youth Award, the Congressional Gold Medal, The Sea World Environmental Excellence Award and the President's Environmental Youth Award. I serve on the board of directors for the national gallery of America's young inventors and at the Case Western Reserve University Center for math and science education. I also play field hockey and am a swimmer.

I was born in San Mateo, California. At the age of six I moved to Japan where I lived for a year and attended school. I came back and started at Peninsula School, a school where shoes are not required, but what is important is that you learn to love everyone and everything around you. Throughout my childhood I traveled often, including spending four weeks in Sweden every other summer. I danced ballet up through high school and excelled in ceramics and painting. I graduated 8^th grade in 2003 and started at Notre Dame High School, a college oriented, all- women's Catholic school. The school was very structured and formal and provided a sharp contrast to my elementary school experience. At Notre Dame High School I joined Roots & Shoots, and volunteering became a major part of my life. I helped out every Friday with children in the 3^rd grade and helped teach ballet class for 4 year-olds. I helped out with religious activities, participating on the school WAVE team where I worked at masses and lead fundraisers and awareness campaigns for the school. Outside of school I led retreats for high schools students through the Episcopalian diocese. As part of my Roots & Shoots group I helped restore the creek that ran through the school. During my senior year I received two community service awards and completed over 500 hours of community service. I now live in Sweden. Next year I will attend University of California, Davis for Environmental Studies.

I am an 18-year-old graduate of John Fraser Secondary School. I have led the Peel Environmental Youth Alliance since 2005, and I coordinate Volunteering Peel, a nonprofit organization I started in grade 11. I value environmental stewardship and strong communities. I am very involved in my community, having volunteered over 2000 hours of community service in my high school years alone. The focus of my volunteering group is local community events, and I have been actively involved in mobilizing over 500 volunteers to attend these events for the past two years. I am an advocate for environmental issues, and my interests are long-distance running, social justice work, and volunteering. In 2006, I was named Mississauga's Youngest Volunteer of the Year, and was honored by the Province of Ontario with the Ontario Medal for Young volunteers the following year. Described as a youth leader, I have been actively involved in extracurricular activities from day one in high school. I have been part of my school band as a trombone player, led the environmental club for two years, participated in track and field, been actively involved in the arts and music councils, Model United Nations, and my school paper. I was the national Under 18 Representative for the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition this past year. I look up to outspoken environmentalist David Suzuki, and have even met him on a few occasions. I am going to the University of Toronto at Mississauga for Environmental Management in September.

I am a Tanzanian living in the Kigoma region. I attend Kigoma secondary school evening classes for an advanced certificate. In 1999 when I was in primary school, I became attracted to the Roots & Shoots philosophy and decided to join. I served as a club chairperson at Mwandiga secondary school. In December 2003 I brought the Roots & Shoots concept to the Kibondo district, and I volunteered to coordinate the Roots & Shoots refugee programs. I represent Roots & Shoots to the UNHCR and report on the growth of the Jane Goodall Institute and other partners. I am now working with members of the Jane Goodall Institute in Switzerland on evaluating the Roots & Shoots impact to the lives of refugee children. I like to camp and read novels.

I am a senior at the State University of New York at New Paltz completing my undergraduate degree in Anthropology. I am the head of the Roots & Shoots program at New Paltz as well as the vice president of the Anthropology Club. These two groups have raised money for the Tchimpounga Youth Campaign and have worked with Sears and Kenmore to educate consumers on energy conservation. Throughout my educational career I have participated in various organizations including 4H, Tennessee Tomorrow, BETA and French Clubs, all of which involved volunteering regularly in the local community. When not in class, I work for the Educational and Developmental Intervention Services; I work with children -- newborn to three -- with educational and developmental disabilities. In my free time I enjoy reading, gardening, cooking, photography, hiking, camping, video games and going for walks with my husband and three dogs. I also have three cats, a cockatiel and a fish. My awards and accomplishments include the President's Award for Educational Excellence, National Honor Roll, National Dean's List, National Reading Olympiad First Place and French Award. I was chosen to participate in Tennessee Ambassadors of Music, with whom I traveled to Western Europe to perform in various locations.

I am an 18-year old Tanzanian boy. I have been with Roots & Shoots since primary school. I traveled through villages along Lake Tanganyika and informed the people about their environment and their impact on the environment. Because of these actions people are now planting trees in their villages and most of them use new farming methods. They have also started to protect their animals. I also work to educate people about sexually transmitted diseases and other communicable diseases like malaria. I have received various awards related to my environmental work and have been given a certificate of appreciation for preparing a youth forum in Kigoma.

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I have been working with Roots & Shoots since 1998. I have done environmental conservation, tree planting and a variety of other activities. We have a natural forest in our school, and this enables other students to learn about their ecosystem. Within this forest we also keep bees, which help the students learn about insects. I have life skills training and have learned about HIV/AIDS. I can pass this knowledge onto others and teach them about drug abuse. I am an example of good behavior and hope that others will begin to emulate me for this.

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I am a young Nigerian with a passion for change in Africa. I grew up in Oyigbo, a semi-urban area in the Niger Delta and had my primary and secondary education in the same region. I have a background in Accounting and Finance from the Delta State University. In 2004 I joined Project 1827, a youth group committed to teaching entrepreneurship and business skills to students. Two years later I started Young 4 Speed Africa, a dynamic team of young people dedicated to building partnerships for the development of Africa through youth-focused initiatives. They now have an online community of young development actors. I also volunteer for TakingITGlobal. Currently, I am the Director of the Delta Change Network. During their youth summit I represented Africa and the Middle East on the Earth Charter Youth Initiative's Youth Leadership Team. My desire is to live in a free world where man has respect for his fellow man and the environment. I love to read, travel and make new friends.

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I am a sophomore at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and graduated from Lincoln East High School. I have participated in Roots & Shoots for four years and am part of the College Leadership Council. I work with the UNL Entomology Department on the Salt Creek tiger beetle project and have done so for three years. I am also involved with the Residence Hall Association, the UNL symphony orchestra, photography, politics and being outdoors. I received first place and the History Channel Award at the National History Day competition for my documentary entitled "Theodore Roosevelt: Conserving America's Future." I also spent three years training two harbor seals at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.

I was born in Mexico and raised in Chicago. I grew up with a family who taught me how to be strong and do the best I can. I am a junior in the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I am motivated to reach outside what is normally expected and go above and beyond with ideas and activities. I enjoy learning new things and love to travel the world to learn about other cultures and traditions. I am a soccer fan and have played since I was in third grade. I embrace different traditions and incorporate them into my everyday life. I am an artist who looks at art as information and action.

I am very interested in the environment, animals and human rights. I am concerned about the injustices and problems that are caused by humans. I have collaborated with different organizations as a volunteer and have gone to demonstrations that are against bull fights and experiments on animals. I actively promote the adoption of animals and have encouraged people in my community to act in favor of animals. I want to study biology or get a degree in Animal or Environmental Conservation.

I am a senior at Little Wound High School. I plan to go to Stanford and become a biologist. I have always found biology to be a very interesting subject. There are so many living creatures, it's an endless study. I have done many community service projects, mainly dealing with people in my community. I have helped to winterize the homes of the elders living in my community. I also donated coats to less fortunate children in my community. I was not raised in a wealthy home and rarely got what I wanted. However I would always give whatever I could to other people because I knew what it was like to be without. In the spring I plan to do a dam restoration. Currently the dam is polluted and there is graffiti in the area. I am on the cross country team and play basketball. I like to work out and keep healthy. I am also in drama and am the senior class president.

As a Roots & Shoots youth leader, I initiated and led a R&S fundraising campaign which collected almost $50,000 for a new dormitory at the Institute's Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in the Republic of Congo. The sanctuary is Africa's largest ape sanctuary and cares for young chimpanzees orphaned as a result of the illegal commercial bushmeat trade. I am a graduate of Carolina Day School in Asheville, North Carolina, where I founded a Roots & Shoots group in 2003. My group raised more than $3,000 to construct a 60-foot pre-release flight cage for injured and orphaned birds of prey at a local wildlife rehabilitation center. I have been involved in wildlife rehabilitation and conservation efforts in my community since I was 12. I now hold state and federal wildlife rehabilitation permits. I am a wildlife photographer and hope that my photographs will serve as a "visual voice" to support wildlife and habitat conservation efforts locally, as well as internationally. I now attend UNC Chapelhill.

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I am a freshman majoring in Biological Sciences at Balliol College, Oxford University. I was born in Cleveland, Ohio and spent my childhood in New Haven, where I attended a public school consisting of both international and local students. I moved to Boston when I was seven. I treasure my public school education, as it exposed me to students from diverse geographical, social, educational and ethnic backgrounds. In high school I founded the "Golden Helix Society" to bring new advances in biotechnology to the attention of students at my high school. I have organized trips to local biotech industries and have attended workshops in human genetics at Harvard and MIT. As an associate editor of the school news paper, I strove to highlight these topics through my articles. Recently I have been organizing outings with school aged children for the Oxford University Roots & Shoots chapter. My awards include: member of the National Honors Society (2005-2007); Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives Citation (2004, 2005); invitee (twice; 2005-2006) to the National Tournament of Champions for Debate (TOC); and to present a Poster at the Harvard Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (2005). I was awarded in State Science Olympiad (2005, National Society of High School Scholars (2005); and to the National Youth Leadership Forum (2004); Honoree, Town for Community Service work (2005); and a member of Youth Explorations in Science (2003-2006). I am also the recipient of Thoreau Foundation Award (2007).

I serve as the Executive Director of a non-profit organization called One World Youth Project. One World Youth Project is a global sister-school initiative for middle and high school age youth, linking together schools and youth groups from around the world in learning partnerships for cultural exchange and action on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. This year 48 schools are involved in One World Youth Project from 20 countries and over 12 U.S. States. I am currently an undergraduate student at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C. My involvement in youth activism began over eight years ago when I joined the Jane Goodall Institute's global environmental and humanitarian program for youth, Roots & Shoots. In 2002, I was one of two U.S. students chosen to travel to South Africa to represent the United States at the Children's Earth Summit (held in conjunction with the World Summit on Sustainable Development). In April 2005, I also represented the United States and Sustain U.S. at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in New York City. I was the recipient of the 2004 BRICK Award from Do Something, the Massachusetts Governor's Points of Light Award, as well as the 2005 Brower Youth Award. I have also been a keynote speaker alongside Dr. Jane Goodall and former President Bill Clinton, as well as a speaker at UN World Environment Day, the U.N. Youth Assembly and the Green Festival.

I spent the first years of my life travelling by bike with my parents across North America. We camped everywhere and didn't have a home. I learned to walk at a campsite in the Smokey Mountains. These early experiences shaped my lifelong love of nature, adventure and physical activity. I value the beauty of nature, good health and sustainable living. Beauty, to me, is cheeks reddened by a walk on a cold winter day, hair tussled by the wind and eyes opened wide with the reflection of a new sunrise. My interests lie in learning about sustainable, healthy living from indigenous people around the world. My main accomplishments to date have been my U.N. rainforest expedition, my own nature camp for children and my completion of medical school.

I am a master's student at Iowa State University majoring in Anthropology guided by Prof. Sue Savage-Rumbaugh, Prof. Jill D. Pruetz and Prof. Lisa Fontaine for a master's in Chimpanzee Representational Symbology. I received my bachelor's in Social History and Arts at Tel-Hai Academic College, Northern Galilee, Israel. In addition, I am involved in a number of humanitarian and environmental projects, including promoting peace in the Middle East by helping raise awareness to those in need of humanitarian aid in the Syrian Ragar Village, as well as promoting non-human hominid rights for the purpose of lifetime hostel sanctuaries for Chimpanzees, Gorillas and Orangutans in captivity. Since the year 2000 I have led Roots & Shoots lectures and educational programs in dozens of clubs, schools, and universities. I helped save the endangered species of the Syrian Cat-Eyed Spade Footed Frog by convincing the municipality of Herzliya to protect an Israeli wetland called "Bassa." I am the coordinator of The Jane Goodall Institute's R&S Israel, and a board member of Negiot an Israeli Autistic and Communuicationally Disabled Children's Association. My articles include " King of The Wetland " and "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité' in Ma'ariv National Newspaper Weekend Edition. In 2005 I received the Dr. James Gillihan Award for a Life of Peacemaking presented at the Teachers of Experiential and Adventure Methodologies (TEAM) Conference, from the North Eastern Illinois University. I was recently invited to present my research at the 2007 JGI Chimpanzoo Conference at Wichita, Kansas.

I have a bachelor's degree in Zoology from Washington State University. I have been involved with community service since high school where I was a member of the Key Club. I became president of the Key Club the following year and developed my leadership abilities and strengthened my determination to make a difference. By my senior year in high school I volunteered over 250 hours and received numerous awards for my dedication to serving my community. My passion carried into college and I became a member of the Zoology Club, Circle K, and Environmental Task Force. During my senior year I was able to establish a WSU Roots & Shoots group, which I still lead today. I was employed as a project leader at the WSU center for civic engagement and enjoyed working with students. I currently work at the Palous Discovery Science Center as the volunteer coordinator and am trying to establish Roots & Shoots into local schools. I love to travel and lived in Italy for five months. Hiking, animal photography and spending time with my pets are just a few of my passions.

I am a medical student at the National University of Rwanda. I volunteer at the Rwanda Village Concept Project which is an international youth organization. Our aim is to improve the living conditions in underprivileged communities through increased self-reliance and responsibility. Since 2003, I have been involved in different activities regarding gender empowerment, malaria prevention, and HIV/AIDS education. I am now the assistant youth leader for the Medical Students Association of Rwanda. I also am the project support division director where we raise both adult and youth community awareness on prevention against communicable diseases. We also promote equity between women and men through different strategies. I recently attended an international school on Millennium Development Goals in the framework of the "University on Youth and Development" held at the Euro-Latin American Youth Center in Spain.

I am a form-three student at Pamba secondary school in the Mwanza region. I have been working with youth groups since I was in primary school and joined Roots & Shoots in 2001. My work with Roots & Shoots has included tree planting, awareness creations, children's right to education, and I participated in a local summit. At the summit I was awarded a certificate of participation as well as a certificate of recognition for being able to organize community petitions. I like to read novels, talking about children's rights and play games and sports.

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I am a form-six student in the Dar es Salaam region. I joined Roots & Shoots in 2004 and during that time I participated in beach cleanups, environmental day, Roots & Shoots week, animal week, a public talk at the University of Dar es Salaam, and visited orphans. I was also awarded a certificate of membership and am a member of the planning committee for Roots & Shoots. I prefer to read novels, watch movies and talk about children's and women's issues. I also like to play sports.

I am a junior at Merlo High School. My community activities include working as an intern at the Oregon Zoo, conducting animal education lectures and assisting three Roots & Shoots groups with their activities. I also rehabilitate injured animals. I make some of these animals ambassadors to the schools, so that we can help teach the children why wild exotic animals should not be pets. I was the keynote speaker at the launch of World Pulse Magazine in 2004 and at the Northwest Earth Institute Conference in 2006. I have received the IDA Youth Guardian Award, Ashley Shamberger Award, President's Volunteer Service Award and many others. I also enjoy photography, fencing and hiking.

I have been educated at the Albuquerque Academy and at the Outdoor Academy, a small semester school for sophomores that focuses on experiential education and the environment. Both schools provided me with opportunities to do countless hours of community service, like trail maintenance, historic monument restoration, and volunteering on an organic farm. In addition to the Environmental Club, I am also a varsity swimmer, a HOBY leadership alumnus and have a 4.24/4.00 GPA.

I was born in Russia, Murmansk and moved to Kyrgyzstan in 1995. In 2003 I started volunteering for United Nations Volunteer Resource Center in Kyrgyzstan. Later, I spent some time working with United Nations High Commission of Refugees as a translator and an assistant to local staff from Japan. During that period I came up with an idea to distribute information on volunteerism and its use for the society. I created brochures "Who are volunteers" that were distributed around the country. In 2004 I won the Future Leaders Exchange scholarship that gave me an opportunity to attend Rye High School in Colorado. In 2006 I took a position of Future Leaders Exchange Alumni coordinator in American Councils in Kyrgyzstan where I was coordinating 650 young people from all over the country organizing different social and educational projects. I have organized more than 30 short term projects such as "Two month Tech Club for Village Children," "English and Computer Club" for people with disabilities and the Charity Ball "Fiesta Primavera." This year I had a big fundraising campaign "Sharing Joy" to support juvenile detention center. After this Charity Campaign I organized a football game between young convicts and boys from local universities. Having excellent skills working with young people in 2006 I was asked to work with young people from Afghanistan on Youth Exchange and Study Program as a Counselor in a summer study camp. In 2007 I was selected to become one out of 25 One World Youth Project Ambassadors. That became my hobby and combines usefulness and enjoyment working with schools and youth groups from all over the world implementing UN Millennium Development Goals. I have been to different foreign countries visiting conferences and representing Kyrgyzstan.

I am a senior at Lemon Bay High School in Englewood, Florida. I am very focused on sea turtle conservation and it is my main extracurricular activity. I have won a variety of awards: Mote Sea Turtle Conservation Volunteer of the Year; Keep Sarasota Beautiful Volunteer of the Year; Action for Nature International Eco-Hero; Florida Wildlife Federation Youth Conservationist; Earth Island Institute Brower Youth Award and the Prudential Spirit of Community Award.

I am a 15-year old who looks much older than I actually am. It is not because I look older but because I present myself in a mature manner. I maintain excellent grades even though I have tons of extracurricular activities, am on the Youth Leadership Council, and work three days a week. I and others came up with the idea to donate toys to a foster family for Christmas. We collected over 100 presents for ten children at the foster home. I also volunteer at the early learning center and help children between the ages of three and six. I work with the Boston Youth Organizing Project which is a youth led organization that works for justice and social-change in the Boston area. Right now we are trying to get healthy foods into Boston public schools. I like to sing and participate in art club. In 6^th grade, I was given the chance to go to Japan for two weeks. This changed my outlook on the world; instead of viewing the world solely from an American point view, I started to think of how all the countries, animals and environments interact.

I attend Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. I am studying elementary education and sociology. I am the president of WestConn's Roots & Shoots club and write for the student newspaper. My Roots & Shoots club has been involved in many different projects. We have led trash clean-ups, raised money for wheelchairs and micro loans through an art auction fundraiser. We have advocated for a recycling program at the school and are finally seeing some results. I am a member of the College Leadership Council and have had the chance to work with other student leaders across the country.

I was born in Dang located in Nepal. I am continuing my bachelor's in Environmental Management and Sociology. My Roots & Shoots group is very involved in a variety of projects. We are addicted to the work we do. I am very interested in community based project work like a vulture conservation project with community people of Nawalparasi in the western part of Nepal. I regularly monitor the nesting site of the vulture with the help of community people. At the same time I educate them about the importance of wildlife in maintaining the ecosystem. I am very interested in animals. I love learning about them and am passionate about their conservation. Last July, I spent twenty-six days in the extremes of the Himalayas to study the Red Panda. I was awarded with Roots & Shoots Most Active Member of the Year Award for 2004 and 2005 for successfully accomplishing the anti-poison fishing project.

I am a recent graduate of the College of Wooster (C.O.W.) located in Wooster, Ohio where I studied Psychology. Primates have always been an incredible passion for me and after an awe inspiring visit from Dr. Jane in 2005, I started and led the first ever C.O.W. group of Roots & Shoots. Along with other like minded groups on campus, our R&S group sponsored many talks on campus on green living and environmental stewardship. In addition we successfully designed and created a "nature themed" sacred space on campus. This small indoor space was used by all students as a place for quiet and meditation. During my Senior year at the College of Wooster I completed an independent study project in conservation psychology with Dr. Susan Clayton on visitor perceptions of zoo animals at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Zoo Atlanta. Since my graduation in 2006, I have been continuing work in conservation psychology research with Dr. Kristen Lukas at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. In September 2007, I started with the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) as the first ever Graduate Leadership Fellow for Roots & Shoots. I am also a member and JGI communications liaison for the College Leadership Council of Roots & Shoots. I can speak on many issues such as green campus initiatives, youth action for conservation, primates (especially chimpanzees), service learning, youth leadership, being a member of Roots & Shoots, zoos and conservation, conservation psychology and humane education.

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