HomeMy WebLinkAboutTC 02-11-2026 Presentations
Teen Commission Meeting
February 11, 2026
Presentations
Item #1
Big Bunny 5K and Kids Fun
Run and Spring
Community Festivals
Presentation
February 11, 2026
Teen Commission
Parks and Recreation Department
Festivals and Special Events
Agenda
•Review of Events and Festivals
•Upcoming Events and Festivals
Events and Festivals
•Events are coordinated and implemented
directly by City staff.
•Festivals are organized by non-profit
organizations but use city facilities and are
supported by City staff for implementation.
Citywide Events
•Citywide Events are generally open to the
public to participate either as a free or paid
event. Paid events include:
•Big Bunny
•Campout
•Monster Mash
•Breakfast with Santa
•Pooch Plunge
•Signing Santa
•Sweetheart Social
Citywide Events Continued
Parks and Recreation Free Events:
•9 Summer Concerts and 4 Movies in August
•July 4
•Tree Lighting
•Earth Day
Other Free Events coordinated by Public Works
•Bike Fest
Program Level Events for Teens
Youth Activity Board (YAB) Teen Events
•Spelling Bee
•Pizza and Politics
•Teen Resource Fair
•Cupertino Café
•Movie Nights
•Kick off or end of year event
•Speaker Series
Program Level Events Continued
Examples of Other Program Level Events
•Hidden Treasures –Senior Center
•Movies –Senior Center
•Health Expo –Senior Center
•Birthday Bashes –Senior Center
•Disco at Dusk –Intergenerational
•Preschool Mother’s Day Tea and Socials
•Golf Tourneys
Festivals
•Festival organizers apply in January for
festivals in the following fiscal year.
•Egg Hunt –Local Non-Profit
•Holi –Chamber of Commerce
•Cherry Blossom –Toyokawa Sister City
•Kids N Fun –Taiwanese Cultural Sports Federation
•Rotary Silicon Valley Fall Festival
•India Heritage Festival –Bhubaneswar Sister City
•Diwali Festival –Chamber of Commerce
•Dilli Haat –Empower Uplift
•Ikebana Show –Every other year
Use of Volunteers
•Recreation Event Volunteers (REV) and
one-day teen volunteers are used in Parks
and Recreation city-wide events and
program level events.
Questions?
Teen Commission Meeting
February 11, 2026
Presentations
Item #2
Golf Events and Earth Day
Festival Presentation
February 11, 2026
Teen Commission
Parks and Recreation Department
Golf Events and Earth Day Festival
Agenda
•Upcoming Events at Blackberry Farm Golf
Course
•Earth and Arbor Day Festival
Golf Events at Blackberry Farm Golf Course
•FootGolf Tournament (3+ years)
o Saturday, May 2
o 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
•Intergenerational Golf Tournament (5+
years)
o Saturday, June 13
o 10 a.m. to Noon
How can you get involved?
•Sharing outreach
o School
o Golf teams
o Friends and family
•Register to participate
o Reg4rec.org
Earth and Arbor Day Festival 2026
•Saturday, April 4
o Cupertino Civic Center Plaza
o 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
•Zero Waste Event
•Family-friendly
•FREE
How can you get involved?
•Event Emcee(s)
•Volunteer Day Of
•Share
o Vendors –registration closes 3/6
o Volunteer opportunities –meeting on
3/25
o Event Info: cupertino.gov/earthday
www.cupertino.gov/earthday
Questions?
Teen Commission Meeting
February 11, 2026
Presentations
Item #3
SR2S Working Group
Birgit Werner
SR2S Program Coordinator
Cupertino Safe Routes to School
SR2S Mission: To create a safer environment
for Cupertino students and families to travel to
and from school actively
SR2S Framework:
Engineering
Education
Encouragement
Engagement
Equity
Enforcement
Evaluation
2025 Student Travel Tally
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
How Cupertino Students Get to School
Fall 2025
Walk Bike/Other School Bus Carpool Transit Family Car
0%
10%
20%30%40%50%60%70%80%
90%
100%
How Cupertino Students Get to School
Fall 2025
Walk Bike/Other School Bus Carpool Transit Family Car
School Name Walk Bike/
Other
School
Bus Carpool Transit Family
Car Alt Travel
Cupertino HS 18%20%0%5%4%53%47%
Homestead HS 19%15%0%6%10%50%50%
Monta Visa HS 23%16%0%6%1%53%47%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
How HS Students Get to School
by Grade
Walk Bike Other Bus Carpool Transit Family Vehicle
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
How HS Students Get to School
by Day of the Week
Walk Bike Other Bus Carpool Transit Family Vehicle
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
How HS Students Get to School
AM and PM
Walk Bike Other Bus Carpool Transit Family Vehicle
2025 Student Travel Tally
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
TK K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Response Rate by Grade
SR2S High School Representatives
Applications due February 23, 2026
cupertino.gov/saferoutes/hsrep
Thank you!
saferoutes@cupertino.gov
Teen Commission Meeting
February 11, 2026
Presentations
Item #4
Youth Led Organization,
Cybersecurity and AI Club
YLCA CUPERTINO
YOUTH-LED CYBER
& AI SAFETY
E M P O W E R I N G T E E N S T O S E C U R E T H E D I G I T A L
W O R L D
YOUNG LEADERS in CYBERSECURITY & AI
WHAT IS
YLCA is a global youth led initiative empowering the next generation of
cybersecurity and AI leaders through hands-on workshops and mentorship
from industry experts to build a safer, more responsible digital future.
Young Leaders in Cybersecurity & AI (YLCA) is founded by high-school
innovator Arth Bhardwaj to train and empower teens in cybersecurity and
artificial intelligence. We provide hands-on training, workshops, leadership
opportunities and real-world projects that help young people make their
schools and communities safer online.
YLCA?
YOUNG LEADERS in CYBERSECURITY & AI
MEET OUR
FOUNDER
ARTH BHARDWAJ
FOUNDER
Securing digital trust in an era of
evolving threats.
YOUNG LEADERS in CYBERSECURITY & AI
Arth Bhardwaj is a high-school junior at
Saint Francis High School in Mountain
View, California, and the founder of
Young Leaders in Cybersecurity & AI
(YLCA). He leads his school's
Cybersecurity & AI Club and works as a
student researcher with the University
of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (UIUC).
MEET OUR
EXECUTIVE BOARD
HENRY WHITEHEAD
Bay Area Chapter Lead
Saint Francis High School,
California
YOUNG LEADERS in CYBERSECURITY & AI
AVNI BHARDWAJ KRISHIV ARORA VEDIKA JAIN
Director of Communications
Challenger School, Sunnyvale,
California
Director of Operations
Delhi Public School Karnal,
India
Delhi Region Lead
GD Goenka Delhi, India
WHY WE FOUNDED
YLCA
Our Mission
To empower the next generation with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the
digital world safely, ethically, and confidently. We believe every teen deserves access
to quality cybersecurity and AI education, regardless of their background or location.
YOUNG LEADERS in CYBERSECURITY & AI
Global Reach
Our programs are designed to be accessible globally, with workshops delivered in
schools and communities worldwide, all completely free of charge.
YLCA'S IMPACT ON
Goal 1: Student Safety - Hosted 6-8 Cupertino based
cyber/AI sessions both online and in person for teens
across schools
Goal 2: Family Awareness - Planning to host Run
parent/community sessions in H1 2026
Goal 3: Youth leadership pipeline of Cupertino
Ambassadors already onboarded
Goal 4: Launch a guide/manual for local schools,
community groups
(Published book on Amazon August 2025)
CUPERTINO
YOUNG LEADERS in CYBERSECURITY & AI
YLCA'S GLOBAL
YLCA’s impact reflects a growing movement of youth-
led change in cybersecurity and AI awareness. By
reaching 2700+ students, training 50+ ambassadors,
building 3 corporate partnerships, and delivering 30+
workshops, YLCA is turning awareness into action.
Through hands-on sessions, peer learning, and real-
world digital safety education, the initiative empowers
students to become responsible digital citizens and
future cyber leaders. This impact is not just in numbers—
it’s in the mindset shift toward a safer, smarter, and
more secure digital generation.
IMPACT
STUDENTS REACHED
GLOBALLY
TRAINED
AMBASSADORS
CORPORATE
PARTNERSHIPS
WORKSHOPS
DELIVERED
2700+
50+
3
30+
Y L C A .t e c h
YOUNG LEADERS in CYBERSECURITY & AI
@ y l c a _g l o b a l
YLCA'S
PROGRAMS
YOUNG LEADERS in CYBERSECURITY & AI
Youth Cyber & AI Workshops
Ambassador Leadership Program
Global Community & Events
✓45-60 minute sessions delivered in schools and
community
✓Interactive demos
✓Real phishing emails, scams, passwords testing
✓AI ethics & safety
✓Delivered in schools globally
A 3-month leadership track where teens:
✓Learn cybersecurity basics
✓Learn intro AI & responsible usage
✓Practice teaching younger students
✓Lead 1–2 workshops at their school
Monthly virtual meetups
Project showcases
Mentorship sessions with
professionals
WHAT MAKES YLCA
Trusted Youth-Led Cybersecurity/AI Platform, in operations FOUND BY
YOUTH - FOR YOUTH.
Community impact + technical learning together — outreach,
education, and leadership in one model.
Scalable chapter model that can be replicated across schools and
communities by trained YLCA Ambassadors.
Mentored by industry advisors and experts, connecting student energy
with professional guidance.
Action focused workshops with real world demos, hands on scenarios,
and take home safety checklists.
DIFFERENT?
YOUNG LEADERS in CYBERSECURITY & AI
YLCA’S GLOBAL
PRESENCE
NEW DELHI, GURGAON, NOIDA -
INDIA
BANGLORE, INDIA
EAST BAY, NEW JERSEY USA
YOUNG LEADERS in CYBERSECURITY & AI
Learn Together. Build Securely. Lead Confidently.
MUMBAI, INDIA
CUPERTINO, MOUNTAIN VIEW,
SUNNYVALE CALIFORNIA
PUNJAB, HARYANA INDIA
DEHRADUN, INDIA
SHIMLA, INDIA
And many more….
THANK
YOU!
YOUNG LEADERS in CYBERSECURITY & AI
Teen Commission Meeting
February 11, 2026
Presentations
Item #6
Cybersecurity and AI Club
for Teen Commission
Highlight Program
February 11, 2026
Teen Commission
Parks and Recreation Department
Evaluation of Youth Led
Organization for Highlight
Agenda
•Review Youth Led Organization Application
•Consider Youth Led Organization for
Highlight spot by Teen Commission
Reminder of the Questions to Answer
•What is your YLO’s goals?
•What do you want to achieve?
•What are your plans to increase engagement in the
future?
•What are the plans for the YLO after you graduate from
high school?
•Do you have a plan for the longevity of the organization?
•Why do they want the YLO highlight?
•What is the organization’s impact on Cupertino?
•What made them want to start the YLO?
Organization
•Young Leaders in Cybersecurity & AI
•Contact: Arth Bhadwaj
•https://ylca.tech
Organization Continued
•Young Leaders in Cybersecurity & AI (YLCA)
is a youth-led initiative founded by
Cupertino resident teen Arth Bhardwaj
(Saint Francis High School) to make
cybersecurity and responsible AI education
practical, relatable, and accessible for
students
How long has your organization been
active?
10 Months
How Does the Organization Engage
Participants?
•YLCA runs 100% free workshops (typically 60
minutes) in schools and community settings,
covering phishing/scams and social
engineering, passwords and 2FA, privacy
settings, cyberbullying and digital
reputation, digital footprints, and
responsible AI topics like misinformation and
deepfakes.
How Does the Organization Engage
Participants?
•YLCA scales impact through a structured
Ambassador Leadership Program, training
students to lead workshops at their schools,
launch cyber/AI clubs, and run awareness
drives. YLCA now has ambassadors across
the Bay Area, Central Valley, and a newly
started New Jersey chapter, plus a strong
partnership in India with 35+ student
leaders.
What are the Plans for the After Graduation?
•YLCA has 50+ ambassadors and a structured
leadership model, with ambassadors from
8th grade through 11th grade. As the
primary organizers and senior members
graduate, younger ambassadors will be
trained and will continue filling leadership
roles to keep programs running smoothly.
What are the Plans for the After Graduation?
•In addition, the founders and senior-most
batch have a long-term commitment to
remain involved after graduation to mentor
new leaders and support YLCA’s growth,
since this mission is a passion project and
aligns with our college academic goals.
What Makes the Organization Unique?
•YLCA is unique because it’s built to scale
through student leadership. We train teens
to become ambassadors who can lead
workshops and awareness drives in their
own schools and communities. That’s how
we’ve grown into one connected
organization across the Bay Area, Central
Valley, New Jersey chapter, and India,
while still using shared materials and
consistent, age-appropriate content.
What Makes the Organization Unique?
•We also have real industry mentorship
behind our student-led work: YLCA is
supported through a CSR partnership with
Cupertino-based cybersecurity company
Elevance Systems and guided by
professionals from Bay Area companies
(including Microsoft and Visa). That mix—
youth leadership + real-world mentorship +
structured growth—is what makes YLCA
different.
Why should Teen Commission Highlight the
Organization?
•A Teen Commission highlight would make a
real difference for YLCA. It would give this
youth-led organization more visibility and
credibility. Our goal is to bring more free
workshops to Cupertino schools and across
the Bay Area, and to host more community-
based sessions for teens and parents so
more families learn simple steps to stay safe
online.
Why should Teen Commission Highlight the
Organization?
•The topic is also very relevant to teens right
now—scams/phishing, privacy on social
media, cyberbullying, and misinformation
affect students every day. Highlighting YLCA
would spotlight Cupertino teens leading
meaningful service, and it would help us
expand our impact by reaching more
students, growing local participation, and
building safer digital habits in the
community.
Questions?