About Us

Namu is a 501(c)(3), student-led, social advocacy nonprofit organization. Namu serves as a global outreach program consisting of high school students currently located in the United States, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and Germany who believe in the power that education has in shaping a new generation of changemakers. In conjunction with this belief, we are creating resources for both students and educators to allow elementary and middle school students to learn to become activists and make a difference in their communities.

A team of passionate middle school students established Namu in 2023 at Vista Verde K-8 School in Irvine, California with the mission to "champion a socially conscious youth movement." Our current objectives include continuing to expand our resources to include more societal reform topics (thus creating a more internationally inclusive curriculum), as well as extending our reach to as many students as possible, at no cost.

We also regularly collaborate with sponsors, businesses, organizations, and local schools to establish long-term community relations. So far, we have secured a sponsorship from Boxed Water, as well as the Dysperse app. We are also partners with elementary and middle school classrooms in the Irvine Unified School District, where our Bootcamp for Youth resources are integrated into curricula.

In July of 2024, Namu merged with the Global Cleanup Effort (GCE), a student-led environmental action group formed in Surabaya, Indonesia. The Global Cleanup Effort was thereafter transitioned to Namu Indonesia, with all volunteers of the GCE becoming a part of the Namu Fellowship Program.

The Advisory Board consists of local teachers and community leaders who have made significant contributions to the development of Namu and its programs.

Ms. Jamaica Denise

Teacher, Surabaya Intercultural School

Mrs. Shari Mark

Teacher, Irvine Unified School District

Mrs. Brianna Mendham

Teacher, Irvine Unified School District

The Partnered Schools consist of schools that have integrated the Namu Bootcamp for Youth program into their curricula through an extensive partnership between Namu and the institution. Many of these institutions have a representative in the Advisory Board who greatly assisted in the process of integrating the curriculum.

The Corporate Partners consists of businesses that have previously sponsored Namu. Namu limits sponsorships to businesses and corporations that operate under ethical and sustainable practices which align with Namu's mission. The Corporate Partners hold no power or influence over the decisions of the organization.

The following schools have had at least one student participate in the Fellowship Program and/or the Namu Research Initiative.

Orange County School of the Arts, University High School (Irvine), Sage Hill School, Princess Anne High School, Irvine High School, Surabaya Intercultural School, Vista Verde K-8, Edward E. Brickell Academy for Advanced Academics and Arts