This article is part of our Youth Voices series. At Ten Strands, we believe that young people have valuable perspectives and a critical role in shaping our society and our world. We recognize their power to drive dialogue and create positive change and are committed to providing a platform which amplifies their contributions. Today, you’ll meet Anna Bronk, one of the inspiring youth leaders contributing to this important work.
Anna is from Thousand Oaks, California, and is an incoming freshman at UCLA, where she plans to study Environmental Science and American Indian Studies. After participating in the California Youth Climate Policy (CYCP) Leadership Program, Anna returned to Ten Strands as a summer 2026 student intern.
During her internship, Anna analyzed California Youth Environmental Data Leadership Program (CYED) student reports to identify statewide trends, challenges, and opportunities for environmental action in schools. She also helped develop policy recommendations and edit the CYED Site Assessment Toolkit, strengthening her data synthesis and analysis skills.
Anna hopes to continue pursuing environmental and Indigenous issues in college and her future career.
Q: Briefly introduce yourself: Tell us a little bit about your background on who you are – grade level, where you go to school, geographical location, any diversity indicators (pronouns, race, ethnicity, etc.).
A: My name is Anna, and I am from Thousand Oaks, California. I am an incoming freshman at UCLA with plans to double major in Environmental Science and American Indian Studies. I am passionate about Indigenous rights and wildlife conservation as well as ensuring people receive adequate attention, care, and resources no matter their social status or race.
Q: Why are you interested in environmental and climate issues? And why did you want to pursue an internship with Ten Strands, an organization that focuses on environmental and climate action in TK-12 schools?
A: Ever since I was young, my parents have fostered a love for the natural world and environment, and I have always had dreams of making a difference. When presented with the opportunity to do CYCP my senior year of high school, I knew it was the right fit for me, and after seeing my impact on my school and community, I felt a strong sense of fulfillment. I pursued an internship with Ten Strands because I found many of my peers wanting to make more of a difference within their school, but not knowing how or what to do, and I wanted to be more educated to help assist younger students initiate change.
Q: What projects, programs, and services did your internship focus on with Ten Strands? Describe your experience and what stood out to you as you worked on different aspects of your internship.
A: My internship with Ten Strands focused on analyzing student-generated CYED reports to identify statewide trends, challenges, and opportunities related to environmental and climate policy for TK-12 schools, synthesizing findings and developing policy recommendations, and editing the CYED Site Assessment Toolkit. This was my first internship, and it was perfectly paced. I most enjoyed synthesizing findings and developing policy recommendations because without this internship, I most likely would have never had access to these findings and would not have been able to participate in the way I did. It was fascinating to review so many students and schools, identify trends, see where schools could improve, and report on some particularly unique aspects of different schools.
Q: In what ways do you hope the work you did through your Ten Strands internship will make an impact?
A: I hope the work I did inspires someone. I know so many people who want to make an impact but have no idea how, and I hope the work I did encourages more youth to take action and make a difference, no matter how large. I also hope this encourages policymakers and school districts to notice trends and act accordingly to protect their staff, students, and the environment.
Q: What skills did you learn or grow during the internship, and/or what did you learn about yourself during this internship?
A: One skill I learned was data synthesis. By reviewing student reports and generating one report based on those, I developed this skill that I see as invaluable as an incoming college student. Overall, this internship helped sharpen my reading and analysis skills, which I am grateful for as it prepares me for future research and analysis in college and beyond.
Q: To what extent do you plan on pursuing something related to the environment in your college or career pathways?
A: As mentioned earlier, I am planning on double majoring in American Indian Studies and Environmental Science in college and having future internships and jobs related to these fields. I have found fulfillment by pursuing environmental knowledge both in and out of school, and I am excited to continue doing so in the future.
Q: How do you see data as a meaningful and powerful tool in catalyzing environmental and climate action in schools?
A: Data can show shortcomings, achievements, support, and so much more. When I was in CYCP, I collected data for my project on cafeterias, and it was essential for my presentation to the board who ultimately decided to greatly increase sustainability within cafeterias district-wide. After CYCP, I joined Ten Strands as an intern analyzing data from students from schools across California. Not only was the data incredibly eye-opening to review, but while writing the report, I also recognized how important the data was to convince school districts and policymakers to enact change based on the data findings. Ultimately, it is essential to understand the many ways data can be used and to use it to our advantage to convince people that change is necessary in our current climate and environmental state. In particular, it is important in TK-12 education, with so many young and impressionable minds that are our Earth’s future.
