Climate Advocates Voces Unidas

CAVU USES HIGH QUALITY MULTIMEDIA, VISUAL STORYTELLING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO SUPPORT LOCAL SOLUTIONS TO THE GLOBAL CLIMATE PROBLEM. CAVU UNIQUELY BLENDS SCIENCE AND PERSONAL STORIES TO RECONNECT PEOPLE WITH EACH OTHER AND THE PLANET THEY LIVE ON. WE BELIEVE ELEVATING DIVERSE VOICES IS AN ANTIDOTE TO PREJUDICE, PARTISANSHIP, AND CYNICISM BY CREATING HOPE AND COMMON GROUND TO CREATE CHANGE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES. CAVU RECOGNIZES THE POWER THAT VISUAL STORYTELLING HAS TO AFFECT CHANGE AND BE AN ANTIDOTE TO PREJUDICE, PARTISANSHIP, AND CYNICISM WHEN WORKING ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES. THIS WORK LED TO AN EMMY AND CAVU IS NOW FEATURED IN A PERMANENT EXHIBITION AT THE SMITHSONIAN'S NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM FOR CAVU'S USE OF FLIGHT AND FILM FOR CONSERVATION PURPOSES.

CAVU AIMS TO CREATE A COMMON VISION OF THE AMERICAN WEST, IN WHICH ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES ARE ACHIEVED IN BALANCE WITH WHAT MAKES THIS REGION VIBRANT: ITS PEOPLE, LANDS, WATER AND WILDLIFE. SINCE 2005, WE HAVE CONDUCTED NUMEROUS PROJECTS IN NINE COUNTRIES WITH MORE THAN 100 PARTNERS. CAVU HAS DEVELOPED CAMPAIGNS THAT HAVE RESULTED IN TANGIBLE SOLUTIONS THAT ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE AND A HOST OF RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES. WE HAVE CREATED A 10-PART VIDEO SERIES WHICH HAS BEEN SEEN BY OVER TWO MILLION VIEWERS AND A SEVEN-PART WEBINAR SERIES SEEN BY OVER 500,000 VIEWERS. RECENTLY, CAVU CREATED THE CLIMATE INNOVATION CHALLENGE (CIC). CIC IS A FREE STEAM PROGRAM BUILT ON CAVU'S SCIENCE AND STORYTELLING CURRICULUM. THE PROGRAM CULTIVATES STUDENT LEADERS TO THINK INNOVATIVELY AND COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY ABOUT ADAPTING TO OUR CHANGING CLIMATE. CIC WAS BORN OUT OF THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS THE DEFINING CHALLENGE FOR TODAY'S YOUTH, IMPACTING THEIR ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, CULTURE, AND FUTURE JOB PROSPECTS. WE WORK ACROSS THE AMERICAS AND AFRICA TO ENGAGE YOUTH, WITH A FOCUS ON THOSE MOST VULNERABLE TO CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS: STUDENTS FROM INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, COMMUNITIES EXPERIENCING ACUTE CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS AND COMMUNITIES BURDENED BY ECONOMIC DISPARITIES. WE SERVE STUDENTS ANNUALLY IN GRADES 3-12. WE CHALLENGE STUDENTS TO CREATE LOCALLY-LED, CULTURALLY-RESPONSIVE SOLUTIONS THAT BUILD RESILIENCE IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES. WE BELIEVE THIS IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO ADDRESS THE CLIMATE CRISIS, THROUGH PROMOTING A SENSE OF AGENCY IN OUR FUTURE LEADERS. LAST YEAR CAVU REACHED OVER 11,000 STUDENTS IN 15 STATES AND 7 COUNTRIES.