Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa Explained

Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa
Birth Place:	Maplewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Nationality:	American
Occupation:	Climate justice activist, social entrepreneur
Education:	Williams College Exeter College, University of Oxford Gimnazija Orce Nikolov (North Macedonia) Columbia High School (New Jersey)
Known For:	Executive Director of Climate Cardinals
Awards:	Grist 50 (2024) Global Student Prize Finalist (2024) Williams Bradford Turner Citizenship Prize (2024) American Councils for International Education: 50 Alumni for 50 Years (2024)

Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa is a Guyanese and Japanese American climate justice activist, social entrepreneur, and the executive director of Climate Cardinals, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making climate information accessible to non-English speakers through global translation and dissemination efforts.^[1]

His work focuses on expanding access to climate education, empowering youth, and advocating for environmental justice and community-driven decision-making.^[2]

Early life and education

Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa was born in Maplewood, New Jersey, to a Guyanese American mother and a Japanese immigrant father. His experience with the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy sparked his interest in climate justice and shaped his understanding of the social impacts of environmental disasters.^{[3] [4]}

In high school, Hayakawa received the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study Abroad Program scholarship from the U.S. State Department to study in Skopje, North Macedonia, where he was recognized by the Bureau of Cultural and Education Affairs for his commitment to citizen diplomacy.^[5]

Hayakawa attended Williams College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in history with minors in Global and Environmental Studies, graduating magna cum laude. His academic work focused on Indigenous rights and environmental governance, and his thesis on the global Indigenous rights movement earned him highest honors in Global Studies.^[6]

He also studied at the University of Oxford as part of the Williams-Exeter Programme, contributing to sustainability initiatives and student governance at Exeter College.^[7]

Climate Cardinals

In 2020, Hayakawa joined Climate Cardinals, a youth-led nonprofit organization founded by Sophia Kianni. Starting as Partnerships Director, Hayakawa became the organization's first full-time Executive Director in 2024.^{[8] [9]}

He is best known for establishing Climate Cardinals’ signature translation program, which collaborates with partners like Google Cloud and Translators Without Borders to make climate information accessible in over 100 languages.^[10]

Under his leadership, Climate Cardinals has expanded to over 16,000 youth volunteers across 134 countries, translating more than three million words of climate-related information.^{[11] [12]}

Hayakawa has also overseen key partnerships with major organizations such as UNICEF, UNESCO, and Google Cloud. His work is recognized for breaking down language barriers in climate communication and empowering youth leaders to champion climate action in their local communities.^[13]

Advocacy and public speaking

Hayakawa has become a prominent voice in the global climate movement, advocating for climate justice and youth empowerment at major international forums. He has spoken at events organized by the United Nations Development Programme, UNESCO, and Deloitte.^[14]

He represents Climate Cardinals on the UNESCO Youth Climate Action Network Steering Committee and serves on the World Health Organization Youth Council.^{[15] [16] [17]}

In his personal capacity, Hayakawa is also a member of the Youth Impact Council, led by the Duchess of York, and the advisory board of Clean Energy for Harris.

Notable projects and partnerships

Hayakawa's leadership at Climate Cardinals has driven several impactful collaborations:

• He partnered with Google Cloud and Translators Without Borders to increase the organization's capacity for translating climate information into over 100 languages.^[18]
• He played a pivotal role in securing funding from Google.org, which has helped expand Climate Cardinals' global reach and enabled the organization to grow its youth-led translation efforts.^[19]
• Under his direction, Climate Cardinals has partnered with organizations like UNICEF, UNESCO, and Yale University, increasing the organization's visibility and facilitating cross-border climate advocacy.^[20]

Awards and recognition

Hayakawa's work has earned him numerous accolades, including:

• Grist 50 Class of 2024, recognizing influential leaders in the environmental movement^[21]
• Finalist for the Global Student Prize, awarded by Chegg^{[22] [23]}
• Williams Bradford Turner Citizenship Prize, for outstanding service and leadership at Williams College^{[24] [25]}
• American Councils for International Education: 50 Alumni for 50 Years, recognizing his contributions to youth leadership and diplomacy^[26]

References

1. Web site: Climate Cardinals names Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa as first full-time Executive Director . 2024-10-14 . Climate Cardinals . en-US.
2. Web site: Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa . 2024-10-14 . Climate Cardinals . en-US.
3. Web site: 2024-08-18 . Student on shortlist for $100,000 prize . 2024-10-14 . Essex News Daily . en-US.
4. Web site: Grist 50 2024 . 2024-10-14 . Fix . en-us.
5. Web site: December American Abroad Student of the Month: Hikaru Hayakawa Exchange Programs . 2024-10-14 . exchanges.state.gov.
6. Web site: Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa . 2024-10-14 . Climate Cardinals . en-US.
7. Web site: 2024-09-03 . Exeter alumnus appointed Executive Director of Climate Cardinals, raising awareness of climate crisis globally . 2024-10-14 . Exeter College . en-GB.
8. Web site: Climate Cardinals names Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa as first full-time Executive Director . 2024-10-14 . Climate Cardinals . en-US.
9. Web site: 2024-09-12 . Rising Stars: Hikaru Hayakawa, Executive Director of Climate Cardinals . 2024-10-14 . SDG News . en-US.
10. Web site: 2024-09-12 . Rising Stars: Hikaru Hayakawa, Executive Director of Climate Cardinals . 2024-10-14 . SDG News . en-US.
11. Web site: Grist 50 2024 . 2024-10-14 . Fix . en-us.
12. Web site: 2024-08-26 . Climate Cardinals . 2024-10-14 . Climate Cardinals . en-US.
13. Web site: 2024-09-12 . Rising Stars: Hikaru Hayakawa, Executive Director of Climate Cardinals . 2024-10-14 . SDG News . en-US.
14. Web site: Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa . 2024-10-14 . Climate Cardinals . en-US.
15. Web site: Climate Cardinals appointed to UNESCO Youth Climate Action Network Steering Committee . 2024-10-14 . Climate Cardinals . en-US.
16. Web site: UNESCO Youth Climate Action Network . UNESCO.
17. Web site: WHO Youth Council . 2024-10-14 . www.who.int . en.
18. Web site: Harnessing AI to translate climate knowledge for all . 2024-10-14 . Google Cloud Blog . en-US.
19. Web site: Kart . Jeff . Climate Cardinals Plans To Double Its Science Translation Efforts With New Google Backing . 2024-10-14 . Forbes . en.
20. Web site: Climate Cardinals names Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa as first full-time Executive Director . 2024-10-14 . Climate Cardinals . en-US.
21. Web site: Grist 50 2024 . 2024-10-14 . Fix . en-us.
22. Web site: 2024-07-17 . Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa . 2024-10-14 . Global Teacher Prize . en.
23. Web site: Green . The Village . 2024-07-19 . Columbia High Grad Hikaru Hayakawa Named as Finalist for Global Prize . 2024-10-14 . The Village Green . en-US.
24. Web site: Eagle . Jane Kaufman, The Berkshire . 2024-06-02 . Retiring professor does a handstand on a walker at Williams College's 235th commencement . 2024-10-14 . The Berkshire Eagle . en.
25. Web site: Williams College Announces Turner Citizenship Award . 2024-10-14 . Today . en-US.
26. Web site: 2024-09-16 . Celebrating American Councils 50th Anniversary with the 50 Alumni for 50 Years Initiative American Councils . 2024-10-14 . www.americancouncils.org . en.