Theytriarchy

• Theytriarchy, a 501(c)(3) organization, focuses on integrating underrepresented communities into the innovation sphere, using diversity as a catalyst for global prosperity. Their goal is to build sustainable information ecosystems with tangible conservation and technological impacts.
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• Their SustAInability initiative empowers middle and high school students to create AI chatbots centered on sustainability.
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• Howell Conservation Fund’s (HCF) Catalytic Grant helped launch Theytriarchy’s ocean ecosystem sustainability initiative, piloted at Sacred Heart Greenwich in Spring 2024 with 33 eleventh-grade students.
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• The pilot initiative included the creation of a comprehensive lesson plan to be used in schools worldwide, facilitating cross-cultural collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Conservation and innovation require broader integration of diverse perspectives to effectively address global sustainability challenges. While many sustainability initiatives exist, there remains a gap in accessible information systems that encourage global knowledge sharing, ecological consciousness, and cross-cultural collaboration among young people.

Through the Catalytic Grant provided by HCF, Theytriarchy was able to develop and implement their SustAInability initiative. HCF’s support empowered students to create AI chatbots focused on sustainability, beginning with a pilot program at Sacred Heart Greenwich. These initiatives included:

1. Supporting Innovation: With funding from HCF, students developed chatbot prototypes to share knowledge and spearhead community-driven sustainability initiatives. These projects encouraged students to “think globally, act locally” while collaborating with international schools to promote ecological stewardship.
2. Educational Impact: HCF’s grant supported the creation of a lesson plan based on the pilot program, helping to expand this model to other schools. This plan fosters global collaboration, ecological consciousness, and builds information systems that counter misinformation.
3. Scaling Knowledge: The Catalytic Grant enabled Theytriarchy to establish a content library that shifts sustainability information into dynamic systems, driving real-world impacts and supporting cross-cultural collaborations.

During the 2023-24 grant period, Theytriarchy successfully piloted the SustAInability program with 33 eleventh-grade students at Sacred Heart Greenwich. The students developed three AI chatbot prototypes focused on sustainability. Over the summer, Theytriarchy worked with a high school intern to assess and improve the reliability and tone of the Gemini System chatbot, though one additional prototype had limited functionality.

The water sustainability chatbot provided comprehensive project ideas and suggested ways for students to get involved in environmental initiatives. One chatbot guided students in finding funding sources for sustainability projects, and the information was verified by Theytriarchy’s quality control team, which also set up a community service opportunity for the school. 

The pilot program was presented at the Florida Marine Science Educators Association 2024 Conference, generating interest from schools and organizations across the U.S. and the Bahamas.