This article is part of our Youth Voices series. At Ten Strands, we believe that young people offer valuable perspectives and play a critical role in shaping our society and our world. We recognize their power to drive dialogue and create positive change, and we are committed to providing a platform that amplifies their contributions to the Data Initiative for Environmental and Climate Action in California’s TK–12 schools. Today, you’ll meet Michael Yip, one of the inspiring youth leaders contributing to this important work.
Briefly introduce yourself.
My name is Michael Yip. I recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in data science and economics as part of the undergraduate class of 2025. I will be attending UCLA this fall for a master of engineering program in data science. My career interests include tech consulting, data analytics, business analytics, and data strategy and digital transformation. I hope to pursue a career related to data or technology in the consulting or banking field.
What brought you to this project at Ten Strands?
I’ve always been passionate about using data as a force for good, and the opportunity to work on environmental literacy in schools felt like a meaningful way to do that. This project combined my interest in data-driven decision-making with a mission that creates long-term societal value by helping educators, policymakers, and communities address climate issues from the ground up. The chance to work with real-world climate and education data while contributing to a broader vision for environmental action was what drew me in.
Tell us about your experience working on this project.
During my internship, I analyzed county-level data to identify patterns in climate action adoption and environmental burden across California’s school districts. My tasks included data cleaning, statistical analysis, and creating visualizations to help tell the story behind the numbers. One of the most interesting parts of the work was uncovering how factors such as political leaning, income levels, and pollution burden intersect with the timing and scope of climate initiatives. It was rewarding to see how data could be translated into actionable insights that support advocacy and planning.
In what ways do you hope your work made an impact?
I hope my work helped make the data more accessible, engaging, and actionable for stakeholders. By transforming raw data into clear visualizations and analysis, I aimed to empower decision-makers with evidence-based insights that could guide resource allocation, policy priorities, and targeted outreach to underserved areas. Ideally, my contributions will support more equitable and effective climate action in schools across California.
Did this project help you grow your data skills?
I believe this project strengthened my data cleaning and visualization skills, particularly in handling large, complex datasets with real-world implications.
How do you see data as a meaningful and powerful tool in catalyzing environmental and climate action in schools?
Data can turn broad, urgent goals like climate action into concrete, measurable steps. In the context of TK–12 education, it can highlight disparities, track progress, and demonstrate the tangible benefits of sustainability initiatives. When presented clearly, data builds trust among stakeholders, fosters accountability, and makes it easier to secure funding and policy support. In my view, using data to guide decisions is essential for creating systemic, lasting change in environmental literacy and action in schools.
