Meet Sophie Kim, the California teen who turned an online climate-anxiety group into a youth nonprofit with 700+ members in 30+ countries and won a $10,000 national young hero prize

TCAGI began with a straightforward, but audacious, idea: how to help children understand climate change without scaring them with it. Sophie’s own experience of eco-anxiety as a child inspired the organization’s first major project, a series of children’s books aimed at introducing the climate crisis to young readers while emphasizing hope, teamwork and practical action.

For many young people, the climate crisis did not come as a distant scientific issue but as something deeply personal. Wildfires, extreme weather and an uncertain future could make an already complex world feel even more overwhelming. For Sophie Kim, that anxiety became the impetus to build a community, rather than retreat from the problem. The 18-year-old California student has turned an online community started during the Covid pandemic into The Clean & Green Initiative (TCAGI), a youth-led environmental nonprofit with more than 700 members in more than 30 countries. The work has now garnered national recognition, including a spot on the 2026 recipients of the Barron Prize for Young Heroes and a $10,000 national young hero prize, the National Society of High School Scholars website report states.

From environmental anxiety to environmental action

TCAGI began with a straightforward, but audacious, idea: how to help children understand climate change without scaring them with it. Sophie’s own experience of eco-anxiety as a child inspired the organization’s first major project, a series of children’s books aimed at introducing the climate crisis to young readers while emphasizing hope, teamwork and practical action. The first book, Stella and the Starlight Solution, is about Stella the Star visiting Earth and learning her friend is in trouble. A friendly alien helps her understand what is happening and introduces her to the mysterious Starlight Solution. Along the way, Stella meets people who are helping the planet in different ways, and slowly learns that the solution is not one magic answer, but collective action. The book combines environmental facts with vibrant visuals and an approachable story, giving children an entry point into what can otherwise be an overwhelming topic.

A global network of young people

The project quickly grew beyond the initial book project. Sophie gathered 32 young people from 14 countries to help develop TCAGI’s projects and promote environmental awareness. Their work ranges from writing and illustrating Stella and the Starlight Solution to producing blogs, creating social media content, contributing to YouTube and managing the organization’s Discord community.Since then TCAGI has attracted more than 700 members from over 30 countries. Its work has been funded and supported by organizations such as DoSomething.org, the Jane Goodall Institute and Bow Seat Ocean Awareness. The initiative has also been covered in publications by Blue Shield and Project Green Schools.

From creativity to conservation

Another of Sophie’s major projects has been the Sounds, Scenes, & Stories of Nature Contest, co-developed with Bow Seat and its mentors. The international contest asked participants to submit creative work that celebrated nature, from photography and poetry to other art forms. After a slow start, the contest eventually attracted more than 600 entries from 14 countries. Sophie is currently working on a book to display the winning entries, which will take the message of the project beyond the competition itself. She is also developing a jewelry line, with the intention of donating 100% of the proceeds to Ukrainian charities, including UNITED24 and Maya’s Hope.

Several causes

Sophie is more than an environmental activist. She started the Bipartisan Bridges program, which brings together high school students for structured debates on social topics. Her ever-expanding work has earned her a spot as one of the 2026 Barron Prize Young Heroes, an award recognizing young people for their initiative and impact in their communities. For Sophie, the journey that began with eco-anxiety has transformed into something much larger, a network where young people can learn, create and take action together. As she prepares to continue her environmental work in college, TCAGI’s story gives us a glimpse into what can happen when fear becomes the spark for building something constructive.Images Courtesy: istock and NSHSS