About. “When we connect with nature, we heal ourselves. When we protect nature, we heal the planet.” –Ted Turner. Based on the critically-acclaimed animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Captain Planet Foundation (CPF) was co-founded in 1991 by Ted Turner and Barbara Pyle as a corporate foundation of TBS. In 2002, CPF separated from TBS and became a 501(c)3 public charity, with the stated mission to work collaboratively to engage and empower young people to be problem solvers for the planet. Tomorrow’s problem solvers need to be able to: think critically and creatively; examine and explore situations; innovate and design workable solutions; and see the relationship between local & global systems. They need to be active and motivated citizens who have learned to embrace their empathy and work together to create a sustainable, livable future for all. These future leaders, professionals, scientists, and citizens are today’s PreK – 12th grade students. Over the past 30 years, more than 1.6 million children have directly participated in CPF’s programs, which have funded 3,300+ projects, impacting 10.5 million young people. Reference: https://captainplanetfoundation.org/

Recent Accomplishments.

• Green Heart STEM Challenge for Environmental Justice. Captain Planet Foundation celebrated the work of over 350 student finalists in Atlanta and Houston in a program that “challenges young people to explore and identify environmental justice issues in their communities and to design feasible solutions to address these problems.” Each year, the challenge identifies a specific theme inspired by the elements, and this year’s theme was Water Justice.
• Planeteers Attend the Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations (INC-4). CPF funded the attendance of four Planeteers at the fourth round of the INC-4 Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations in Ottawa, Canada. Each of these Planeteers represented the very important youth voice in the negotiations. Of the 2,500 individuals present, only six were individuals in the ages of 18-22.
• Planeteer Alliance Funds 15 Youth-Led Events Across the Globe to Celebrate Earth Month. To celebrate Earth Month, Planeteer Alliance funded 15 youth-led Meetup Events across the globe. These meetups spanned four different countries, gathering over 150 young people and engaging them in efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change through community engagement.

 Reference: https://mailchi.mp/captainplanetfdn/help-your-students-have-a-green-heart-1370176

Why EcoBrands supports the Captain Planet Foundation. It is obvious that a crucial component in changing the course of our planet lies in educating people in their most formative years. If all PreK – 12^th grade students learn the critical importance of environmental protection and respect for nature at a young age, our planet can create an army of conservationists instead of millions more indifferent adults. I was one such high schooler who was permanently changed by environmental education when I was begged by my (nerdy) sister, Lyla, to join the Environmental Club. When I went to my first beach cleanup, I was absolutely astounded, disgusted and completely discouraged by the stuff we picked up…used condoms, used syringes, endless plastic bottles, a couple of tires, and even an entire washing machine that someone just dumped on the beach. While this experience was a massively discouraging blow to my hope for humankind, it taught me two simple lessons that have stayed with me my entire life – 1.) to respect all public places and never ever litter, and 2.) that I have the power at any time to beautify a place simply by picking up other people’s trash. To this day, I still pick up other people’s trash around my neighborhood and city parks. It is incredibly irritating, yet gratifying at the same time. Much more importantly, here I am now, an eco-entrepreneur, dedicated to marketing eco-friendly products and sustainable living….so I’d say that first beach cleanup back in high school had a pretty profound influence on me! This is why we believe education is perhaps the most crucial component to change and why we support the Captain Planet Foundation.

As always, thank you sincerely for reading. We wish you all the best on your path to sustainable living, as we continue on our own!