Pareena Gupta (she/her)

How are you using education to build more sustainable and equitable communities? Tell us about your EE work and impact. 

My nonprofit, The Sustainability Lens, uses environmental education to make complex climate science accessible and actionable through in-person community events, digital storytelling, and institutional policy. Our work ensures climate research extends beyond scientists and policymakers, equipping youth and community members with usable knowledge and pathways for local engagement. I have engaged 3,500+ community members through hands-on activities and interactive games at events across the San Francisco Bay Area. I led a program featuring NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, who connected insights from space missions to the urgency of climate action on Earth (150 in-person and 100 virtual attendees). I advance climate storytelling through my YouTube podcast, Simply Sustainability, where I have produced 13 interviews with climate experts reaching 4,000+ views and 1,600+ followers. These conversations highlight real-world solutions, pairing scientific accuracy with stories of agency, progress, and climate optimism. Topics span environmental injustice, methane emissions, industry collaboration on greener technologies, and historical perspectives, including Benjamin Franklin as America’s first climate scientist. To address gaps in K–12 climate education, I led a climate literacy resolution in the Pleasanton school district. The resolution was unanimously passed by the school board, extending climate education across the curriculum for 13,700 students.

Tell us about your journey to where you are today. What inspired you? What has your path been like? 

I’ve always been curious about how issues like consumerism and environmental injustice are connected across borders, and how these challenges affect us, often unequally. I reviewed climate research and media reports to understand the problem and potential solutions, but often found the information overwhelming and difficult to follow. I started to see how confusion and misinformation create barriers that prevent people from engaging with climate action. I remember thinking: If climate science is not communicated in a way people understand, how can they take action? In response, I founded The Sustainability Lens, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on making environmental education more accessible and actionable. I host a YouTube podcast on climate science, write about environmental issues for local media, and recently led an initiative to integrate climate education into K–12 curricula across my school district. 

As a member of Pleasanton’s Youth Commission, I represent 19,000 youth and advocate for sustainability in citywide initiatives. Through these efforts, I use education and civic engagement to help people feel empowered to take action—showing that with the right tools and information, even small, everyday choices can lead to meaningful change for people and the planet.

How can people learn more about or support your work? 

To learn more about my work, visit sustainabilitylens.org, follow @the_sustainability_lens on Instagram, and subscribe to the YouTube podcast Simply Sustainability. You can also follow updates on LinkedIn under The Sustainability Lens or Pareena Gupta.

The best way to support my work is to reach out with ideas for workshop or podcast collaborations. Whether online or in person, workshops and webinars are a meaningful way to engage the broader community while highlighting diverse speakers and perspectives. Feel free to contact me through LinkedIn or Instagram.

A Little More About Me

What (or who) keeps you hopeful for the future?
Seeing school districts prioritize climate education in K–12 learning keeps me hopeful for the future, because action begins with knowledge. As today’s students become tomorrow’s leaders, a strong foundation in climate science will empower them to make informed decisions and take meaningful action for the health of the planet.

What song or artist has uplifted you lately?
“If You Believe” by Strive to Be and Patch Crowe

What are you happiest doing?
I am happiest when connecting intergenerational perspectives and making knowledge more accessible. Bridging these gaps is essential for driving systems change in climate education.