SEOUL, South Korea, July 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Action for Clean Environment (ACE), a global non-profit organization with a mission to facilitate global environmental activism, successfully completed the 2024 Fellowship for Young Leaders Program. This was the fifth year for the program and a ceremony was held on July 20 at the Seoul Club in Seoul, Korea, to mark the occasion.  

Twelve students of various ages, second to eleventh grade, participated in the program this year. Eric Hyun Sim (Taft School), Young-Wook Suh Sohn (Seoul International School), Junhyuk Bhang (Seoul International School) served as Junior Leaders. "It was a proud moment to watch young students demonstrate their passion for solving global environmental problems and develop actionable plans without active guidance from adults," said Tony Lee, Executive Director of ACE.

Eric Hyun Sim said that this being my fourth year participating in the ACE Fellowship Program, I can proudly say each time has been a good, unique experience. My first year part of the program, my group leader changed my perspective for the better and grew my awareness of our planet's current situation. My goal since then is to do the same for my team members as a leader. I think this program for giving insight on hope for the future of our planet.

Young-Wook Suh Sohn said that visiting "Simple Planet" was a remarkable experience that opened my eyes to an innovative approach to sustainability. This unique approach focuses on crafting products from simple, plant-based ingredients, all while striving for zero waste. Inspired by their mission, I felt compelled to initiate a discussion with my team about the broader issue of food waste and its environmental impact, delving deeper into the reasons behind "Simple Planet" and its admirable goals.

Junhyuk Bhang said that although I could not physically attend meetings and accompany my team on their journey to "Simple Planet", not only was I able to guide my teammates to learn about sustainability, but I also learned much about green plant-saving approaches. I hope that with this amazing learning experience focusing on green initiatives, we can spread awareness of the actions humanity needs to take as a whole to save our planet. Moreover, I loved how my team was able to discuss actions that we could collectively take to spread awareness of green initiatives. I hope that this experience not only makes my team and me a better individual but also opens the eyes to everyone else to start conserving our planet.

The program comprised of three main sessions over three weeks:

1) active team debate on the issue of pollution; 2) touring Simple Planet (Food-tech start-up producing future food) located in Seongdong-gu, Seoul; and 3) an essay writing and group presentation. Through the program, the leaders and the fellows engaged in dynamic discussion and activities regarding global environmental issues.