Aryan Tuteja is heading into his sophomore year at Discovery Canyon Campus in Colorado Springs. He is a determined 15-year-old who is hoping to inspire those of all ages to keep Southern Colorado clean. “I was already interested in helping the environment and with climate change,” Tuteja said. “And when I noticed huge waste dumps outside in Colorado Springs, I was really shocked to see how little people care about waste management and how huge it’s affecting climate change overall. So, I thought I should do something to help this and that’s why I created my project to create awareness… more about recycling, composting and incineration.”
Tuteja worked with the non-profit organization Rustic Pathways through their Climate Leaders Fellowship program to bring his idea to life. “I always wanted to make this change, but I wasn’t really sure how until I came [across] Rustic Pathways, who actually led the way and taught me how I can do this,” Tuteja said. “They really helped me understand what’s around me.”
Tuteja is one of 190 students from across the world who participated in the fellowship program. “This is a total extracurricular activity that these very busy high school students are signing up for on top of their academic and other schoolwork,” said Rustic Pathways Climate Leaders Fellowship Program Director, John Shu.