At Boston University are, from left, AHS students Elena Zaganjori, Yujia Wang, Aqeel Merchant, Talia Askenazi and Amethyst Stencik.
Some call it “a stack of books” – that odd-shaped building you see from Storrow Drive rising 19 stories above Boston University. Regarded as the school’s most energy-efficient building, it was the site of a green entrepreneurial competition involving 14 teams.
Two from Arlington High School drew recognition in November. Yujia Wang, YourArlington’s AHS intern, provides an inside story.
The challenge was clear: In a test sponsored by National Grid, the regional gas-and-electricity utility, offered Massachusetts high school students a chance to turn their passion for science, technology, engineering and math into real-world impact via the Project Green Schools’ Innovating for the Future competition.
Green future, prizes
Teams of at least two students submitted sustainable solutions to environmental challenges, connecting innovation with a greener future.
That was incentive enough. Still, students competed for prizes of as much as $5,000.
As Wang described: “The event took place in a building at Boston University, and there were lots of students that were studying. The building was also centered on being environmentally friendly.
“We were also on a guided tour across the building, and we had a tour of how the building cooled and heated based on sustainable practices.” See the building and its description here >>
The action took place from 7:30 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. Before taking the train home, he wrote. “It was a very unique experience, and we got to see the new modern building in its new light.”
More than experiencing a remarkable structure, the students felt the tension underlying climate change: How do humans mitigate how they have changed our planet?
‘Essentially, we bridge the gap between accessibility for compost. We help people break the time barrier when it comes to composting while helping Arlington High School students get volunteer hours.’ — Yujia Wang
Two teams from AHS showed how students are trying hard to address the looming peril.
One group — Aqeel Merchant, Talia Askenazi and Amethyst Stencik — completed a project offering a potential solution to carbon sequestration through plant preservation and the clever use of mycelium. That is the root structure of a fungus made up of a network of threadlike strands.
The second AHS group — Elena Zaganjori and Wang – described a project for involvng more residents in composting, underway in Arlington since 2021 called Full Circle Compost Service.
Their improvements to that service focused on making weekly schedules for AHS volunteers so they can go to various houses and pick up compost. Then volunteers take the compost and put it into Arlington’s FEED FiDO bins, at the Department of Public Works, off Grove Street, and next to the Burns Arena, off Summer. Read details from the town here >>
“Essentially, we bridge the gap between accessibility for compost,” Wang explained. “We help people break the time barrier when it comes to composting while helping Arlington High School students get volunteer hours.”
Impact of competition?
Apart from the service itself, how did the teams feel about potential conflict?
“While we initially felt that there was competition between us,” Wang noted, “we ultimately both ended up as finalists. There was definitely tension between both our teams since they were upperclassmen and had experience, while we were completely new to the competition. So, there was no noticeable drama, but there was tension between the two teams.”
Zaganjori, 15 and a freshman, commented: “Our goal was to make an impact on the people around us.”
Wang, 17, a junior, said: “This competition showed us how small ideas can lead to change. It’s inspiring to see so many students committed to creating a sustainable future. I was excited to show my and my partner’s ideas.
“Overall, I think the competition was a great experience!”
A head start
The Wang-Zaganjori team had a head start, adding to a program begun by these AHS students, now in college: Elise Kempf, Carnegie Mellon; Miriam Oliveri-Schneider, Bowdoin College; Ivy Wang, Umass/Amherst; Julia McNeill, The New School; and Clara Schneider, Princeton University.
The competition itself was highly structured. After arriving at BU’s new building, Elena and Yujia ran their presentation repeatedly for themselves on the fourth floor.
Among five slides was one dedicated to explaining their service, as well as a six-month timeline about how they plan to expand the service.
Completed the weekend before the competition, the presentation, Wang said, “was definitely stressful trying to get it done, since we weren’t aware the presentation would be so detailed.
“Everything had to convey lots of information in five slides or fewer. We practiced it only five times before the actual presentation, during the weekend before the competition.
Who the judges were
The judges who reviewed all students’ work were founders or advocates for environmental causes. See all judges here >> One judge did research on composting and how it can affect the environment.
So how did the AHS teams fare? The recycling effort came away with a third-place prize ($1,000). The other received an honorable mention, which meant it was in the top five.
Event organizers have been asked for a complete list of teams, including first place ($5,000) and second ($2,500).
Wang plans to major in general biology in college, and Zaganjori would like to be an attorney.
Zaganjori said: “Placing third is a great bonus, but the biggest win was learning how we can use STEM to solve real-world problems.”
Oct. 22, 2024: AHS grad publishes book to inspire, clear his name
This news feature by Yujia Wang, YourArlington’s Arlington High School intern in 2024, was published Monday, Dec. 30, 2024.
