Mission & Vision

CLEAN is founded on the belief that education is the essential foundation for global climate change solutions. Through a program designed by active climate science researchers to supplement existing science education, CLEAN seeks to provide children with the fundamental scientific background, tools and support they need to take positive action.

From February 27 through March 1, 2008, ATHGO International (Alliance Toward Harnessing Global Opportunities) held their 5th annual Global Forum in Los Angeles, CA. ATHGO International is a nonprofit organization that focuses on fostering active participation of young adults in global and local policy development and decision making. ATHGO also holds consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council and the UN Department of Public Information. In Los Angeles, a diverse group of students and young entrepreneurs met with top scientists, senior executives from the private sector, and politicians to discuss global climate change, specifically the state of the environment, innovative technologies and solutions, and ecofriendly business practices. In addition to presentations, question and answer sessions, and informal discussions with invited speakers, a key component of the forum was the opportunity for the participants to work together in small groups to develop policy and business proposals concerned with sustainability, conservation, and renewable energy. The four of us, by fortunate happenstance, were placed in the same group. By the end of the forum, in addition to our policy work together, we had conceived the concept of CLEAN. and, with the enthusiastic energy of the forum as impetus, we were determined to bring our idea to fruition.

It is ATHGO’s philosophy that educating and actively engaging people in the problems facing our local and global communities creates a situation in which there is hope for the discovery and implementation of solutions. The four of us agree with this philosophy both on principle and also now from the standpoint of experience. We feel that taking this a step further and engaging the next generation in the process is critically important. We have designed CLEAN. to supplement existing elementary (1st-8th grade) science education. It is a program intended to teach children about global climate change in a positive, engaging way that empowers the children to apply their new knowledge to meaningful action. By combining the fundamental scientific background underlying climate change with the tools and encouragement needed to act on that knowledge in an environment of interactive, play-based learning, CLEAN. fosters positivity and dynamic problem-solving in the face of crises. We believe that in this way, we can together address the challenges facing our local and global communities today.