Aadi Kulkarni, 17, is having quite the senior year at Nashua High School South having been named a recipient of this year’s Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. Courtesy photo

NASHUA – Aadi Kulkarni, 17, is having quite the senior year at Nashua High School South having been named a recipient of this year’s Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes.

The Barron Prize comes on the heels of Kulkarni being named the New Hampshire winner of this year’s Stockholm Junior Water Prize.

Kulkarni received the Barron Prize for the achievements of his nonprofit organization, TechPals, which he established in 2022. Kulkarni, who was 15 years old at the time, noticed that his grandmother was struggling to join family Zoom calls, open email attachments and fill out online medical forms. In response, he began a small information technology club with the objective of “bridging the digital divide for seniors.”

The first TechPals session was held at Nashua Public Library. Kulkarni and a few friends gathered there to teach a small group of seniors the basics of using a smartphone. The appeal was almost instantaneous and they continued to be invited back to the library to teach a growing number of seniors.

As the organization continued to flourish, Kulkarni built a website to manage the flood of volunteers and logistics. He also introduced incentives to his classmates, which included verifying volunteer hours for school and service credit.

“I’ve learned that social impact doesn’t have to require millions of dollars or a massive platform,” said Kulkarni. “Sometimes, it starts with a few students, a library room and the courage to show up.”

In the three years that have passed, TechPals now has more than 500 volunteers across nine chapters in seven states. The organization has also raised $35,000 to fund grants, outreach efforts and training. In addition, more than 150 hands-on workshops have been held.

Because of TechPals, more than 5,000 seniors have learned how to use FaceTime, send text messages and avoid scams.

Looking ahead, Kulkarni is advocating for a state resolution that will address digital illiteracy among New Hampshire’s senior population.

“Nothing is more inspiring than stories about heroic people who have truly made a difference to the world,” said author T.A. Barron, who established the award in his mother’s memory. “We need our heroes today more than ever. Not celebrities, but heroes, people whose character can inspire us all. That is the purpose of the Barron Prize — to shine the spotlight on these amazing young people so that their stories will inspire others.”

Since its inception in 2001, the Barron Prize has been awarded to 625 students between the ages of 8 and 18. Each year, 25 winners are chosen and 15 of them are selected to receive $10,000 to fund their service project or higher education.