ENVIRONMENT & SYSTEMS
Making the invisible harder to ignore
My environmental work began with workshops and awareness campaigns, but I became frustrated by how quickly enthusiasm faded after the event ended. I started building systems that make environmental impact measurable, local, and easier to act on, first inside schools and now across cities.
SchoolFootprint Vietnam
I could not find the school tool I needed, so I built it.
I founded SchoolFootprint Vietnam as a chapter-based carbon-accounting network that helps students measure emissions and turn the results into school-specific action. Across six partner schools, the model has engaged 10,000+ students and educators, identified 31,000 kg CO₂e in daily emissions, and supported ten student-led initiatives ranging from No-Meat Monday to plastic-free campaigns and clothing drives.
METRICS: 6 partner schools | 10,000+ students | 31,000 kg CO₂e measured daily | 10 initiatives
Most carbon-accounting platforms are designed for companies, which makes them too technical, expensive, or generic for a student team trying to understand its own campus. As SchoolFootprint’s sole developer, I built a school-specific app using Java, JavaFX, IntelliJ IDEA, and Scene Builder; pilots across 10+ schools reached 100+ users, and 85% of beta users reported improved usability and accessibility.
What the app does:
- Calculates individual and school-wide carbon footprints
- Turns results into personalised reduction recommendations
- Generates short AI-supported sustainability stories
- Usable for remote and under-resourced schools
100+
85%
Active Users
Utility Score
From one school to five cities: HEBI
HEBI (Highly Efficient Building Initiative) is a data-driven tool used to measure energy efficiency and sustainability metrics. Scaled from a localized school pilot, it now provides urban-level insights across five major cities, enabling municipal leaders to visualize policy impact in real-time.
Sustainability leadership at SJI International
At SJI International, I lead a 30-member student sustainability network and help turn broad environmental goals into composting, recycling, hydroponics, and procurement changes. Our systems divert about 200 kg of food waste and recyclables each month, the student-led audit identified 5,000+ kg CO₂e in daily emissions, and our advocacy helped phase out single-use plastic cutlery while securing SGD 5,000+ for a campus hydroponics system.
GLUE Project III
After progressing from member to technical lead, I co-founded GLUE Project III, a U.S. Embassy-sponsored initiative that makes hidden urban water systems visible through hands-on environmental education. I designed stormwater simulations and guided 30 students, teachers, and parents from six Hanoi schools, while our communication work reached a 2,100-member community and an 8.1K-follower page.
Learning from the bamboo supply chain
At Greener Future, I researched bamboo as a scalable material through market analysis and factory visits in two Vietnamese cities. The internship made sustainability less theoretical by showing me the production, pricing, and partnership barriers behind turning a “green” material into a mainstream product.
Recognition
SchoolFootprint placed in Vietnam’s Top 4 at the 2025 UNDP Climate Box Competition and was featured on Inspire Citizens’ Empathy to Impact podcast.
