Juniors in the Pinewood Social Entrepreneurship Program are currently developing projects that address a broad range of issues including mental health, education, and environmental sustainability. The course teaches students about social entrepreneurship through project-based learning, enabling them to identify real-world problems and implement lasting solutions.
Aanya Mukherjee’s project, “Buy Yourself Flowers,” is a nonprofit aimed to provide a teenage perspective into adolescent mental health conversations.
“A lot of the time when I would go to events about [adolescent mental health], I would be the only teenager there,” Mukherjee said. “It was literally all adults, which is when I realized there was a lack of teenage voice in teenage solutions.”
Her organization facilitates school workshops where students can earn volunteer hours, run a podcast that features psychologists and educators, and organize the distribution of “Bloom Boxes:” kits that include journals, affirmations, and stress-relief items such as mini fidgets for students.
Mukherjee has also built a student writing team that contributes to a blog focused on teen mental health.
“We got over 200 applicants in two days to apply, [including] people from India,” Mukherjee said. “We’re also starting a program where kids start ‘Buy Yourself Flowers’ clubs at their [own] schools.”
Junior Anna Dhalluin’s project focuses on astrology education for younger students through an interactive book called “Space in Our Lives,” which she wrote and illustrated herself.
“It shows kids how space affects things they already use, like GPS from satellites, while also introducing bigger issues such as space debris and space law,” Dhalluin said.
The project includes lesson plans, worksheets, and “Mission Kits” that allow students to interact with the material directly and provide feedback. Dhalluin is currently beta-testing with students and prepping a large rollout.
“I will publish ‘Space in Our Lives,’ which means I will officially become a self-published author,” Dhalluin said.
She plans to share her book with schools, libraries, and online platforms.
Junior Will Hewlett’s project helps environmental sustainability through the creation of a native plant garden.
“My project was originally inspired by a visit I took to the Navajo Nation, where I learned about indigenous practices and how they worked with the land,” Hewlett said.
While awaiting approval from the Mountain View city government, Hewlett conducted a volunteer planting day at Montalvo Arts Center as an interim project.
Hewlett said the project is still in its development phase, with planting expected to begin later this year.
“The next steps are to confirm the location of the native garden with the city, and then to talk with my native plant expert to figure out a final layout,” Hewlett said.
Hewlett said the class has pushed him personally to take action.
“The class really helped me by pushing me out of my comfort zone and having me do things I would have never done,” Hewlett said.
