YARMOUTH, Maine — Climate change is a complex problem, but solutions can start with a simple idea.
One young Mainer is being celebrated for that mindset.
Maya Faulstich, a 15-year-old freshman at Yarmouth High School, is one of 15 finalists for a new Global Slingshot Challenge put on by National Geographic and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
A total of 1,800 entries from 80 countries all aimed to tackle an environmental issue.
As part of Yarmouth’s environmental action club, Maya said she came up with "Dishes on Demand," a service at school that replaces plastic dishes with reusable ones at sports team dinners. She claims the program has saved 1,500 plastic dishes from the trash. Maya joined us in the middle of spring break with her family to talk about the recognition.
"[I'm] happy that I can share this work with the world, and that other people can be inspired in their own communities to do similar things, and just to advocate for change in their communities," she said. "Because we really need new systems, not just individual actions."
Maya's father, Paul, couldn't stop smiling while his daughter spoke. Maya said he and her mother have fostered her passion for the environment early and often in her life, and Paul was ecstatic to see his daughter recognized for her work.
"It's just thrilling, right?" Paul said. "Having your child go and be so committed to making a difference, and taking the time and reaching out, and having an idea and translating that idea into action."
Lima Gomez, from National Geographic, said it was incredibly difficult to narrow the entries down to 15 finalists, and said this next generation should not be underestimated.
"I think that young people have an incredible ability to make an impact on some of these big issues," Gomez said. "And what we saw was that young people are starting from their local context; their local communities."
The five overall winners, announced in June, will each get a $10,000 cash prize, with the other finalists getting $1,000 each.
You can vote for the "public choice award" until April 28 here.