STARMUS VIII Names Two Young Changemakers as Junior Medal Recipients

The STARMUS VIII science festival has announced two young individuals, Valeria Corrales and Aneeshwar Kunchala, as recipients of special awards.

Valeria Corrales will receive the "Junior Stephen Hawking Medal" for her work in popularizing science, programming, and technology among young audiences. Aneeshwar Kunchala is awarded the "Junior Jane Goodall Earth Medal" for his commitment to wildlife conservation and promoting biodiversity.

Corrales, through the educational platform ValPat which she co-founded at age ten, has made science and technology more accessible. The platform, boasting over 750 videos and 240,000 YouTube subscribers, provided free science courses to thousands of children in Spain and Latin America during the pandemic. She has also been recognized by Forbes and was a finalist in several international competitions.

Aneeshwar Kunchala, now eleven years old, has emerged as an international voice in wildlife conservation and environmental education. His advocacy began after being moved by the death of a whale due to plastic pollution. Kunchala has appeared in numerous TV documentaries and spoken at major international events. He holds three Guinness World Records and has received multiple awards, including the Diana Award.

The awards celebrate the ability of young people to drive change and reflect the core ethos of STARMUS: knowledge should inspire action, regardless of age.