Celebrating International Youth Day with our Youth Ambassadors

To celebrate International Youth Day, Clean Up has called upon our incredible Youth Ambassadors to share their passions and actions which are helping to educate and conserve our planet.

International Youth Day was started 20 years ago by the UN General Assembly to celebrate young people as partners in change, and to highlight challenges facing the world’s youth. This year’s theme is ‘Transforming Education’, so our Youth Ambassadors have shared their thoughts on the importance of education to ensure a sustainable future.

Learn more about our Youth Ambassadors and how they are helping the future become more sustainable this International Youth Day …

“Children are the leaders of the future. Without the right education, we will make the same mistakes as the adults of today.”

Noah Pronk, 13 years old. Founder, Sticky Pronk Eco-Friendly Surf Wax and Clean Up Australia Youth Ambassador.

Noah, 13 year-old surfer and beach-lover from Adelaide, S.A. founded eco-friendly surf wax company “Sticky Pronk” when he discovered many wax brands contained chemicals and micro-plastics. His surf wax offers a natural, plastic-free, handmade alternative. He raises awareness and reaches out to hundreds of surfers all over the world, and demand for his product is growing.

“Many of the surfers that I have connected with didn’t know what their normal wax contained, and they were surprised to hear that several of the leading surf wax brands include petrochemicals and micro-plastics.”

“I now have over 10 stockists of Sticky Pronk surf wax across Australia and have just received my biggest order ever from a primary school in NSW who are holding a sustainable father’s day stall. I've connected with local beekeepers, which has helped me to perfect my product keeping it sustainable, local and a good quality product rivalling major brands.” Noah says.

He is a passionate advocate for education and sustainability.

“Being a youth ambassador is incredible, it gets the message out to the world about the environmental problems and how we can do better. This role is extremely important to me because most people just think the problem is plastics and pollution, but the small things count as well, exactly like surf wax.”

Noah Pronk, 13 years old. Founder, Sticky Pronk Eco-Friendly Surf Wax and Clean Up Australia Youth Ambassador.

Follow Noah:

Instagram @sticky.pronk

Facebook @sticky.pronk

“Education contributes to our knowledge of the world around us and allows us to form an enlightened viewpoint on sustainable issues. Education provides the first step to change the world into a better place. ”

Sophia Skarparis, 16 years old, Australian Geographic Young Conservationist of the Year and Clean Up Australia Youth Ambassador.

Sophia Skarparis is a 16 year old student from NSW who is helping solve the issue of plastic pollution for future generations. She has been campaigning against single-use plastic bags in NSW for years and petitioned for over 10,000 signatures to take the issue to NSW Parliament. She was named Australian Geographic Young Conservationist of the Year in 2018. At her North Sydney school, she has conducted a waste management audit and, among other activities, has taken part in the North Sydney Sustainability Youth Congress.

Learn more about Sophia’s journey here: https://www.plasticfreesophia.com/bio#intro-1

“I am privileged to carry on from the legacy of the late Ian Kiernan and through my environmental journey. I have discovered that the work of conservation takes community, time and persistence. Caring for the earth is a priority that everyone should have, as we are reliant on its resources and it provides us with life essentials.

Being a Youth Ambassador for Clean Up Australia allows me to participate in activities associated with the conservation of the earth and allows me to be a supportive member of the community.”

Sophia Skarparis, 16 years old, Australian Geographic Young Conservationist of the Year and Clean Up Australia Youth Ambassador.

Follow Sophia:

www.plasticfreesophia.com

Instagram @plasticfreesophia

Arlian Ecker, 12 years old, is from Byron Bay, NSW. He is a passionate advocate for reducing plastic pollution and preventing it from reaching our oceans. He campaigns in schools to spread his messages and raise awareness. Arlian is transforming education with the production of his film PLASTIC ALARM – SAVING THE OCEAN FROM PLASTIC being shown to more then 120 000 students in Australia and overseas. Arlian is a proud Clean Up Australia Youth Ambassador.

“I feel empowered to make amazing changes for the planet and for the future by being an Ambassador for Clean Up Australia and feel great to be a part of this amazing organisation that has taken care of the Australian environment for so long. Being a Youth Ambassador is important because we can empower others to create the best solutions as a team, and together we can change the world.”

Arlian Ecker, Plastic-Free Boy and Clean Up Australia Youth Ambassador.

Here is Arlian on Channel 9’s A Current Affair recently:

https://www.9now.com.au/a-current-affair/2019/clip-cjy7211nk00070hs6vrswx7be

And featured in the Sydney Morning Herald:

https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/byron-bay-schoolboy-the-eco-hero-of-the-war-against-plastic-20190709-p525nc.html

Arlian created a video for us on International Youth Day 2019. Take a look ...

If you would like to show his film PLASTIC ALARM at your school or event, you can visit his website here: https://plasticfreeboy.global/

Follow Arlian:

Instagram @plastic_free_boy

Facebook @PlasticFreeBoy

Website https://plasticfreeboy.global

Cam Spooner launched Strawless March in his hometown Noosa in 2018. He gained the support of local cafes to go ‘straw-free’ for the month, and now many have adopted this practise permanently.

He is a passionate advocate for protecting the environment and continues to educate and inspire action. He organises regular beach clean ups and hosts fundraising events to drive his mission for a Plastic-Free Noosa, and “Straw Free 4573” (his local postcode).

Cam shares great information and creates little videos on his Instagram page@Cam_Saves_The_World

Cam was recently nominated for the Sunshine Coast Australia Day Awards for 2019 Young Citizen of the Year, the youngest nominee by far! His campaign continues to grow as Cam spreads his message both locally and nationally. Cam is proud to be associated with Clean Up Australia as one of our Youth Ambassadors.

“ I love being a Youth Ambassador for Clean Up. I love to educate and inspire people. if I can help others make a change then I am happy - I always say if a 10 year old can do it then everyone can do it! #togetherwecan”

Cam Spooner, 10 years old, Straw Free 4573 and Clean Up Australia Youth Ambassador.

Follow Cam:

Instagram @Cam_Saves_The_World

“Sustainability education is so important to me and my ocean campaign focuses on inspiring as many people as possible to share my passion for environmental protection so together we can build a more sustainable world.

The global youth population is 1.8 billion strong and our generation needs to band together to make our world rumble with positive change, as the future is the one thing we all have in common. And this future can’t just be built for us, it needs to be built with us!"

Shalise Leesfield, 12 years old, Ocean Campaigner and Clean Up Australia Youth Ambassador

Shalise Leesfield, 12 years old, is a passionate ocean campaigner. She has researched, gained permission and set up fishing line bins in her home town Lake Cathie, NSW. The bins encourage significantly less discarded fishing line in local waterways, reducing the threat to marine life. Local Council and a NSW EPA grant have supported her campaign which includes signage, education and a local ranger to enforce marine litter regulations.

Shalise delivers talks and presentations to educate others about the importance of protecting our planet. Check out excerpts from Shalise's recent Luminosity Youth Summit talk here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgJ4f4OjXIQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UwmRZA7x3s

“Clean Up Australia Day is something that is very close to my heart and I have loved hosting my very own ‘Clean Up Australia Day’ campaigns in 2018 and 2019. It was so fantastic to join in with the locals in my community and it shows that by working together we can make a real difference to help keep our oceans clean and keep Australia beautiful. It's such a great feeling to step back once we all finish a clean up and see nature looking clean and rubbish free – the way it should always be.

“Being a youth ambassador is such a wonderful opportunity and honour and it’s great to be able to use this amazing platform to inspire as many young people as possible to join Clean Up Australia Day events all around the country so we can keep our planet thriving and healthy to ensure that it stays the same way for many more generations to come. It is so important that the youth of Australia join together and be inspired to help protect our beautiful country and the planet.

“I am proud to be a part of Generation Z and I believe that it shouldn’t matter how old you are, we should all try and become global thinkers and make a difference in our world today. And by being an ambassador it is a great way to inspire other people to join in and for me to lead by example by the environmental work I have done over the past three years. My hope is that I also inspire other young people that if you have a cause or idea you are passionate about, don’t think you are too young to do anything about it. Us young people should take an active role in keeping our planet clean and green and making our voices heard.”

One of the most important ways to make change happen is to educate people about a problem - and it's solution and I spend most of my spare time spreading awareness about ocean pollution. Clean Up Australia Day is a great way that we can all join together and be part of the litter solution and help save our beautiful marine animals from extinction and protect our ocean and earth for future generations.” Shalise says.

Shalise cares deeply for education and change to make the world a better place.

“Being a youth ambassador is so important to help spread the message to as many people as possible all over the world about how we can help save our amazing planet from plastic pollution. I really believe that together the youth of today can make it happen, one step at a time.”

Shalise Leesfield, 12 years old, Ocean Campaigner and Clean Up Australia Youth Ambassador

Follow Shalise:
Instagram @shalisesoceansupport