Arati Patel, ECI USA
A Arati acredita firmemente no investimento em educação ambiental e em oportunidades experimentais para os jovens. “When we invest and believe in the youth, remarkable change can happen. Their energy and hunger to learn and spread knowledge is truly inspiring and that is why I will continue to advocate for them.” At Earth Child Institute, she has been leading the nonprofits organizational and programmatic areas. Her goal is to create a Youth Board providing young children with the ability to voice their concerns and take action not only at the local level but international level. Arati has advocated for children and climate change while attending United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP 20, COP 21, COP 22, as well as High Level UN events. Arati is currently based in New Jersey.
Ann Smith, ECI USA
Ann Smith is co-director of Circle Connections, Inc and Chair of International Connections for the Sophia Women’s World Conference, in Sofia, Bulgaria, 2010. She serves locally and globally as a community and global organizer, mentor, coach, facilitator, educator, consultant, professional speaker, director of worldwide transformational leadership programs, and author.
“We, the two-leggeds, have finally realized we have made a mess of things and that now is the time to engage our children in finding solutions and actions that will bring lasting peace and prosperity for all creation. I pledge to work with people of all ages in waking them up to the problems and inspiring them to act both locally and globally. When we truly listen to the children and engage them in finding solutions and actions that make dreams a reality, we will succeed. Earth Child Institute is the heart and soul of bringing us together in harmony with the four-leggeds, winged, scaled, and leaves.” – Ann Smith
Bruno Maia, ECI Brazil
Bruno holds a Master’s degree in Education for Sustainability from Griffith University in Australia and a bachelor degree in Social Communication from PUC-Rio in Brazil. His areas of speciality include education, social communication and sustainable tourism. He has more than 20 years of experience working with NGOs, private companies, governmental organizations, academic institutions an international agencies in more than 30 countries.
Karim Mumuni, ECI Ghana
Karim Mumuni has a degree in Social Work and is currently pursuing a B.S. in Psychology at University of Cape Coast. He worked with the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS), monitoring and evaluating the performance of NGOs in this sector and assisting in the provision of portable drinking water, empowerment of rural women with skills, and promotion of girl-child education. As the research assistant of the Ghana MDGs/GCAP Secretariat, Karim coordinates the activities of the platform members representing various goals of the MDGs and organizes capacity-building workshops. In 2011 Karim established ECI Ghana, which has since engaged in projects such as empowering students to plant trees, conducting clean-up exercises (WASH), and organizing forums to educate students about the need to keep our environment green and sustainable.
Lee Frankel-Goldwater
Lee Frankel-Goldwater is a professional environmental educator, writer, project manager, media producer, poet, and musician. A recent graduate of NYU’s Environmental Conservation Education masters program, Lee also studied in Israel at the Center for Creative Ecology on Kibbutz Lotan. At Earth Child Institute he has been leading development of the Global Action Classroom—an initiative focused on global youth environmental cooperation. Outside of ECI, Lee is developing mobile applications for encouraging social action, creating mixed media video design, leading peace and environmental education workshops, and doing his best to live a life in connection with the Earth and helping others to do the same.
Lindsey Lee Cardella
Lindsey era uma criança delegada na Conferência das Nações Unidas sobre os Direitos da Criança em 2009. A interação com crianças de todo o mundo despertou o interesse de Lindsey pela diversidade cultural. Ela passou a se juntar a um projeto de serviço do ensino médio, construção de banheiros e casas na Nicarágua. Na Faculdade, Lindsey estudou em um programa Semester at Sea, experimentar 14 diferentes países ao visitar escolas, e governos locais como parte de seu estudo universitário.
Lindsey se formou na University of New Haven com um diploma de bacharel em Justiça e Segurança Internacional. Depois da faculdade, ela continuou a viajar com foco no desenvolvimento sustentável e nas crianças. Ela viveu na Índia por seis meses trabalhando com o programa educacional WASH, e reserva de tigres Raja Ji.
Lindsey atualmente mora na Flórida e está trabalhando na conservação de espécies ameaçadas de extinção, ao mesmo tempo em que atua como assistente de programa do Earth Child Institute.