Local Leaders Wow With Water Wisdom at Documentary Screening
“The water crisis is increasing and it is up to us to contain it through our meaningful actions, no matter how big or small.”
– Aditi Karthik, Amador Valley High School Local Leader
AVHS Local Leaders Officers pose with Pleasanton City Councilmember Julie Testa at the Firehouse Arts Center.
Do you know where your water comes from?
How will climate change affect local water resource management? What are the most impactful approaches to conserving water at home? These are some of the questions our Pleasanton Local Leaders are answering with their community.
To celebrate Earth Day with impact, Amador Valley and Foothill High School Local Leaders of the 21st Century joined forces to host the first-ever public screening of Hometown Water: the Lifeline of Pleasanton, a documentary produced by Pleasanton students in the GGI’s Summer Internship program.
Student speakers (left to right) Aditi Karthik, Hira Raghavan, Victoria Liu, and Shreya Paul deliver closing remarks onstage alongside GGI Founder Jill Buck.
“This is a heartfelt and informative documentary made with our passion, knowledge, and the care our city deserves.”
“During the Summer of 2020, students eager to learn and share how to take care of the world around us gathered together. For weeks, we planned, wrote, filmed, edited and created this film. This is a heartfelt and informative documentary made with our passion, knowledge and the care and our city deserves,” said Amador Local Leader Aditi Karthik of her experience creating the film. As drought conditions have only worsened in the two years since production, the film’s content is as relevant and urgent as ever.
Local Leaders from Amador Valley High School and Foothill High School partnered with the City of Pleasanton to host the event.
These students brought forth an information-packed program to inspire action. “To learn how to conserve water and tackle this problem, it is essential to understand the process of how water reaches our taps, as well as why saving water is so important. This change is necessary as the drought we are experiencing is more severe now than two years ago and the effects will hit our town harder,” noted Shreya Paul of Foothill High School Local Leaders.
The student-led event featured informational booths staffed by the City of Pleasanton and Zone 7 Water Agency and a Q&A session with water resource experts, including Zone 7 Board President Angela Ramirez Holmes and Manager of Integrated Water Resources Carol Mahoney. In addition to the public, the event was attended by many prominent community leaders, including senior City Management, subject matter experts, and City Councilmembers Jack Balch and Julie Testa.
City of Pleasanton staff answer resident questions about water conservation.
Zone 7 Water Agency conducted public outreach with their event booth.
“Now it’s our time to continue educating ourselves on the water crisis and striving to bring actionable change before it is too late.”
Foothill High School Local Leader Hira Raghavan urged attendees to take action with a statement of hope:
“I feel especially fortunate to have grown up in a town filled with some of the best natural landscapes and some very inspiring community leaders who dedicate their careers to ensure Pleasanton retains its beauty. Now, it’s our time to continue educating ourselves on the water crisis and striving to bring actionable change before it is too late. I hope you all are just as compelled by this documentary as I am, and I truly believe that as a community we can prepare Pleasanton for a more sustainable future.”
Representatives from Zone 7 Water Agency, including the Board President, joined students onstage to answer questions as subject matter experts.
Amador Valley High School Local Leader Victoria Liu closed the program with her thanks to the community: “As a high schooler, I am truly grateful that we were all able to come together tonight to discuss such crucial and urgent matters of climate change and water conservation, and I appreciate each and every one of you all for supporting and believing in this cause.”
“As a high schooler, I am truly grateful that we were all able to come together tonight to discuss such crucial and urgent matters of climate change and water conservation.”
Our thanks to the City of Pleasanton for making space for young voices in our community’s climate action work! To learn more about our student programs, visit our Local Leaders of the 21st Century and Internships program pages.
