Evan Morton is a 16-year-old high schooler from Detroit, but he is also a scientist with Ecotek, a science research center for young inventors. Since he was in the seventh grade, Morton has worked with Ecotek on projects centered on green chemistry, environmental science and environmental engineering, including building a wind turbine and a hydrogen fuel-cell car. Morton also leads his high school’s green team, and is tasked with building an anaerobic digester this school year. Among his many aspirations, he aims to help rid the world of unnecessary oil-based products.

“I plan to create different alternatives to oil and plastic, [including] bioplastic and biofuels,” Morton says of his future agenda. “I want to inform the world how oil can impact global warming and how plastics in landfills can affect the populations of different types of animals.”

Ana Paula Tavares is the Executive Vice President of the Rainforest Alliance, a nonprofit organization that works to protect the environment and improve the livelihoods of communities in more than 80 countries. The Rainforest Alliance focuses on building a more sustainable world by working closely with companies, developers and governments to develop better land-use practices. It is more important than ever to protect and preserve the world’s rainforests, as they are an essential piece to the earth’s ecosystem.

“There are a lot of resources that come out of forests, such as food, oils, wood, paper and furniture,” Tavares says. “They are habitats for wildlife. There are plant species in forests that we don’t even know what kind of properties they have. [Forests] provide livelihoods for local communities. They are very important for the health and balance of this planet.”

After traveling the world for a number of years following college graduation, Kelly Jackson wanted to find a way to give back to the communities that opened her eyes to the beauty across the planet. She joined Global Goods Partners, a fair-trade nonprofit organization that works with more than 30 women-led artisan groups in 20 countries to showcase beautiful handmade products that support local community development initiatives. Products sold on Global Goods Partners’ e-commerce site and select fair-trade retailers include accessories, jewelry, toys, bags and more.

“Everyone wants to help in some way, but that can be a very daunting task,” Jackson admits. “With Global Goods Partners, you can shop and do good. You can buy gorgeous gifts, and tell the story and the impact that they’re making. It’s a simple way to make a difference in communities across Asia, Africa and the Americas.”

As a former adventurous child who later traveled the globe, it’s only fitting that Stephanie Hodge found her way to UNICEF to make young children’s dreams of adventure a possible reality. UNICEF supports children both in emergency and developmental situations — most importantly, supporting children’s rights to education, health, nutrition, water and sanitation. Hodge found her niche in the organization as a cross-sector program specialist in UNICEF’s Education Department, where she focuses on environmental and climate change education.

“There are two scenarios,” Hodge says of the climate change outlook. “If we stay on the unsustainable path, there is going to be more environmental degradation and growing inequality. However, if we take the more sustainable path — where we really start to factor in those environmental externalities in our planning and our daily lives — then the future is a good scenario. We’re getting there, but it’s disaster that’s propelling human action.”