ICP Students Present Sustainability Opportunities

ICP Students Present Sustainability Opportunities

Joanne Goldberg's P '17, 11th grade ICP Ethics, Leadership & Justice cohort took on an ambitious challenge: evaluating Morristown Beard’s sustainability practices and crafting bold, actionable improvements to position it as a leader in environmental responsibility. With keen analysis and creative problem-solving, the students delivered compelling proposals before a distinguished panel of judges, including Darren Burns P '19, '22, Paul Fisher P '12, '16, Philicia Levinson P '19, Ryan Liese P '31, and Betsy Patterson P '14, '16. Their presentations not only showcased their dedication and preparedness but also sparked exciting possibilities for the School's sustainable future. Students explored five critical areas of environmental impact, identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement:

  1. Food Services – Reducing food waste, improving sourcing, and making dining more eco-friendly
  2. Buildings & Grounds – Enhancing energy efficiency, integrating green infrastructure, and optimizing maintenance practices
  3. Community Engagement – Fostering environmental awareness and encouraging collective action
  4. Carbon Footprint – Assessing and mitigating emissions to reduce the School’s overall impact
  5. Waste Management – Strengthening recycling, composting, and waste reduction strategies

To ensure their recommendations were impactful and feasible, students followed a structured four-phase approach:

  • Research & Evaluation – Reviewing existing sustainability initiatives to identify strengths and weaknesses
  • Data Collection – Conducting surveys, interviews, and assessments to gauge environmental impact
  • Benchmarking – Comparing their school’s practices to top-tier “green” schools to uncover best practices
  • Proposal Development – Crafting a visionary action plan with short-and long-term goals based on cost, feasibility, and impact.

Each week, students also had the opportunity to meet with the following MBS staff to ensure their concepts were feasible:

Laura Kirschenbaum – Research methodologies & best practices for data collection
Paul Fisher – Carbon footprint analysis & sustainability strategies
Brian Sclafane – Food services, waste management, and emissions reduction
Mark Clar – Sustainable infrastructure, waste reduction, and facility efficiency
Chance Van Sciver – Evaluating the economic feasibility of proposed initiatives

Students who presented were:
Lillian Abrutyn '26
Nicholas Anderson '26
Alyssa Benbassat '26
Carleigh Cofer '26
Ava D'Agostino '26
Juliana Falzon '26
Lily Horowitz '26
Izzy Jaffe '26
Sophie Kotkin '26
Hannah Mortazavi '26
Avery Neuer '26
Brian O'Neill '26
Ashley Parker '26
Daniel Raimer '26
Sophia Solomon '26
Benjamin Tofias '26
Marilee Vartanian '26


 

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