Heeta Thakkar, a student at the Bronx High School of Science is a young teen who is dedicated to saving our environment and making a change, Heeta is the founder & president of Zero Waste Schools. Observing the effects of climate change as she grew up, she took control of the voice she had to bring light to these issues to people who could make a change.
As a climate change activist, Heeta and her organization are doing various activities to make our world a cleaner place. Heeta is working with the New York City Department of Education, the largest school system in the world, to ensure proper waste management systems within all NYC schools, and participation from students and faculty alike in these programs. Further, Heeta and her organization are participating as keynote speakers, and even setting up workshops for students at the NYC Department of Education Youth Climate Summit. She is also working with New York State lawmakers to pass laws in the state assembly and senate to combat food waste and food insecurity from supermarkets and grocery stores. By this Heeta hopes to help not only the environment but New York’s homeless and food-insecure populations.
Heeta is also a board director for Young Future Leaders, a youth advisory committee to the NYC Mayor’s office and other city municipalities, where Heeta and other youth advocates help bridge the gap between government and the youth, as well as implement other programs throughout NYC to help the city in various ways. The committee works closely with city agencies, where Heeta and other Young Future Leaders advocate for better policies and the youth’s needs.
Currently, Heeta is working with the Department of Youth and Community Development.
With interest in studying political science and economics, she hopes to go to Washington DC’s Georgetown University. Heeta’s plans for the future fall into public service, looking to be a politician in her local New York Community, giving back and helping others around her as she does today. As for the change she hopes to inspire, her biggest goals are deviating household waste collection from landfills and promoting waste-to-energy conversion plants throughout the United States, and the globe.
