Presenting: The 2024-2025 Greenlight Award® Finals
Ten years, three rooms, sixty-three students, one (very busy) hotel. Bedford 2030’s 10th Annual Greenlight Award® Finals brought serious climate action energy to Hotel MTK, where high schoolers pitched bold green solutions—from thrifting revolutions to goose poop makeovers—with brains, heart, and ‘trojan goats’. With a record number of participants and a lively, competitive atmosphere, this milestone event had one clear message: the future is green and student-powered. Let’s meet the changemakers, challenges, standout projects, and the adorable livestock that stole the show!
Know an eco-whiz high schooler who might want to compete next year? Click here—we’ll send you information when fall registration opens.
It's Not a Science Fair. It's a Climate Movement.
Think Shark Tank meets climate activism—powered by high school students. The Greenlight Award® is Bedford 2030’s signature student competition, challenging teens to dream up bold, practical solutions to real environmental issues in their communities. It kicks off each fall with the Proposal Showcase, a science-fair-meets-speed-dating event where teams pitch early ideas to sustainability experts in rapid-fire virtual sessions. From there, projects move into the implementation phase, backed by mentor feedback, milestones, seed funding, and the occasional mid-year pivot (looking at you, bird flu). By April, finalists present live to judges, proving they’ve gone beyond the idea stage—with real-world execution, measurable impact, and local buy-in.
Why do we do this? Because empowering young people to lead climate solutions isn’t just inspiring—it’s essential. And ten years in, these students are proving that change doesn’t wait.
From Meh to Mic Drop: Presentation Glow-Ups with Nicki Pogue
Weeks before they hit the stage, Greenlight students got a crash course in commanding the room, courtesy of public speaking pro Nicki Pogue. In a laugh-out-loud icebreaker, students improvised speeches to totally random slides (think: how maximizing laziness meets clowns and peanut butter pickle sandwiches), then got real-time coaching on everything from body language to presentation polish. With support from mentors who asked sharp questions and offered feedback, students fine-tuned their pitches to be as impactful as their ideas, because a great project deserves a great delivery.
The Grand Greenlight Award® Finale
The culmination on April 27th was electric as 23 student teams pitched climate projects that tackled challenges with grit and creativity. One team tracked and proposed solutions for goose waste at their New Rochelle school despite a bird flu curveball. Another developed a nanoscale compound that breaks down microplastics 170,000 times faster than nature. Yonkers students installed—and personally emptied—their school’s first recycling bin. Others reinvented fast fashion through swap racks, sewing workshops, and repair cafés. From AI-powered trash sorting to native plant education, every project aimed to make a measurable impact.
Columbia undergrads studying Sustainability joined the event to support and explore the program’s future at this 10-year milestone.Columbia undergrads studying Sustainability joined the event to support and explore the program’s future at this 10-year milestone.
“After hearing the results from one particular presentation on dissolving microplastics, I turned to my professor and said, “This team is going to solve microplastics spreading in our oceans.” —Evie, Columbia University Undergrad Student
“The creativity and commitment these students bring is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when young people lead.” —Mariah Okrongly, Bedford 2030 Executive Director
Explore the 2024-2025 Greenlight Projects
G.O.A.T.s—Greenlight Award® Winners
Louise Alverson presents Sofia Kelly and Ada Caccamise with the Greenlight Award®. Photos by Peter Michaelis.
“On the scale of public speakers, their energy and charisma were somewhere in the Steve Jobs/Barack Obama range,” writes David Pogue, Greenlight Award® judge and Bedford 2030 board member, in his Eco Dude column in the Recorder.
This year’s first-place project, Culture of Conservation by Sofia Kelly and Ada Caccamise of Haldane High School, didn’t just transform three patches of invasive mugwort into pollinator gardens—they did it with renewable goat power. Yes, actual goats, named Chocolate and Chip. In a masterstroke of eco-marketing, the duo turned their campus into a media frenzy and a learning lab, using their four-legged “interns” to draw attention and educate hundreds, from high schoolers to preschoolers, on the power of native plants. T-shirts were sold, websites launched, and minds changed. In a post-project impact survey, 97% of elementary schoolers grasped the goat’s important mission to remove invasive plants. The other 3% figured they were there for the cuteness factor.
“Making it happen, despite all of that opposition—that’s what gives me hope. As long as you have that tenacity and the will, anything’s possible.” —Sofia Kelly, Team Culture of Conservation.
“Look around you. Not everything is destroyed yet. We have to fight for what we have!” —Ada Caccamise, Team Culture of Conservation.
Congratulations, Sofia and Ada! (Don’t miss Greenlight judge, David Pogue’s, column in the Recorder recapping the experience and his brilliant article on the winning team.)
Second Place Joint Winners
Plastiless by Shawn Wei & Junjun Li (Rye Country Day School). Plastiless tackled the growing issue of microplastics by developing a nanoscale chemical composite—Fe₃O₄@TiO₂-Ag—designed to break down plastics up to 170,000 times faster than natural processes. The student researchers shared their findings with the New York State Department of Environmental Protection, contributing an innovative solution to a pressing environmental challenge.
ScrapSmart by Sophie Omin, Ainsley Graham, Maddie Strober (John Jay High School). ScrapSmart focused on raising awareness about food waste and empowering individuals to take action. They developed an app to educate users on the carbon impact of waste and suggest recipes based on the ingredients already in their pantry, leading to a measurable reduction in food waste within a test group.
Third Place Joint Winners
Don’t Strain Your Drain by Hawa Massaqua, Maya Shetty, Jahneil Palmer (ELOC, Environmental Leaders of Color). Don’t Strain Your Drain continued a campaign to educate the community on proper cooking oil disposal, collecting 51 gallons. With growing community participation and support from local and state organizations, including the NYS DEC, City Council, and Con Edison, the initiative gained momentum, leading the Mount Vernon Mayor to advocate for permanent oil collection.
EcoThreads by Joselyne Abzun, Kiera Coffey, Kaylee Espinal (John Jay High School) EcoThreads aimed to raise awareness about the impact of fast fashion by hosting an Earth Day fashion show featuring repurposed clothing. With 12 volunteers, 3 hands-on workshops teaching sustainable fashion skills, and around 85 attendees, the initiative collected clothing donations and shared resources to inspire lasting change.
Turning Waste into Wonder by Chloe Kohl, Nur Karim, India Edwards, Beatrice Bachmann, Ann Jos, Sofia LaGrippo, Lucia Naranjo, Avni Sundaram, Isabella Vasquez (Byram Hills High School, Environmental Club). Turning Waste into Wonder created and distributed a survey to the Armonk community to assess awareness of a new food scrap recycling program. They discovered that 81% of the surveyed folks were unaware of the program, and proposed solutions to increase the use of the facility.
Projects With Honorable Mentions
BloomAIR: Outstanding creativity and use of technology to extend educational reach / Daphné Panié, Tancrède Weinstein (Rye Country Day School)
Carbon Canopies, The Tree Sign Initiative: Outstanding targeted engagement tools / Parker Maritzen, Marguerite McDonald (Rye Country Day School)
Fashionably Sustainable: Best upcycling with thoughtful purpose / Gracyn Holm-Joergensen and Madison Knoop (John Jay High School)
Fleaconomy: Outstanding school community engagement / Charley Kercher, Madeleine Stokes, Natalie Zhu (Rye Country Day School)
Green Goose Solutions: Excellent niche waste-reduction topic / Shia Anderson, Nick Ensuncho, Andrew Jean-Baptise, and Ajani Owen (ELOC – Environmental Leaders of Color)
Kids Upcycling Club PWR: Most Innovative use of resources / Ella Cajigao and Hajeong Lee (Hastings High School)
Learn Mamaroneck Energy: Highest potential for meaningful GHG reduction / Anna Grimm, Jack Hajjar, Andrew Kohler, and Ben Murabito (Mamaroneck High School)
Predicting Air Quality for Climate Justice: Outstanding research and use of technology to facilitate change / Helena Cruz (YPIE – Yonkers Partners in Education)
Reducing Trash in Landfills: Excellent Targeted Community Outreach / Megan Hume and Sanjana Satheesh (John Jay High School)
Salt Marsh Ecology: Excellent use of resources to engage community / Ella Golden, Alex Grill
Gabriel Pazona and Olivia Pazona (Mamaroneck High School)
Scraps to Snacks: Outstanding targeted engagement tools / Emma Iamiceli, Julia Iamiceli, and Anneliese Zaken
Solar Panels for KLSD: Boldest greenhouse gas reduction idea / Amelia Inglis (John Jay High School)
Sustain-a-Pack: Most persistent problem solving / Giovanna Leiva and Marjorye Paulino (YPIE – Yonkers Partners in Education)
Sustainable Ground Coverings: Strong long-term impact potential / Lyla Hazan, Henry Johnson
Ezra Katz and Maggie Roseberry (Mamaroneck High School)
Sustainable Solutions for Technology: Excellent Recognition of Vital Climate Issue / Emma Barniv and Hellen Dollar (John Jay High School)
The Tree Tour: Excellent execution of project goals / Jack Hartney, McKenzie Ryder (John Jay High School)
TrashView: Excellent adoption of technology for an accessible solution for individuals / Michael Goneos, and Kaitlyn Wong (Rye Country Day School)
Judges Better Than Judy (No Offense, Judy)
Local sustainability and business experts, including some Bedford 2030 board members, judged this year’s presentations. Thank you all for participating in this impactful event!
Alan Antin, VP Analyst Member, Gartner, Mt. Kisco Conservation Advisory Council (CAC)
Skip Beitzel, Co-Owner, Hickory & Tweed
Ellen Calves, Bedford Town Supervisor
Molly Friedrich, Owner & Publisher, Friedrich Agency
Emily Blair, Founder, Distil
Nick Gutfreund, Principal, Long Run Media
Vicki Marwell, Member, Hopp Ground Garden Club, Bedford
David Pogue, Author & Correspondent, “CBS Sunday Morning”
Noam Branson, Executive Director, Sustainable Westchester
Kirtley Cameron, Architect, Kirtley Cameron Design
Stephanie DiChristina, Podcaster & Writer, Environmental Advocate
Stuart Marwell, Former President & CEO, Curtis Instruments
And special thanks to our room hosts: Mariah Okrongly, Karen Sabath, and Lauren Brois.
Backing Bright Ideas: Thanks, Sponsors!
Our Greenlight Award® sponsors truly care about our climate and kids’ future. Thank you to Stuart and Vicki Marwell, Skip and Michaela Beitzel, Susie’s Smart Breakfast Cookie, NYSEG, and Hotel MTK. Events like this do not happen without generosity like yours; we are grateful for your support.
We are especially grateful for our longtime partnership with the Marwells and Beitzels and their support of this program—you’re the best. Thank you for everything over the years!
2024 Greenlight Award® Winner Update—Grid Rewards Rocks
Meanwhile, 2024 winner Carter Medved continues to turn sustainability into serious momentum. His “Powering Families Toward Sustainability” Greenlight Award® campaign helped households adopt GridRewards, cutting emissions, earning cash, and landing him top honors, a $500 prize, and a roster of accolades that includes the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes and scholarships like the Morehead-Cain, Stamps, and Gabelli Presidential.
Whether with ‘Trojan Goats’ or GridRewards, Greenlight Award® winners prove that creativity, tenacity, and a bit of climate flair can power real change—and open real doors.
This annual competition is open to all high school-age students across Westchester and kicks off in October each year. To learn more about the Greenlight Award®, visit bedford2030.org/greenlight/ or email greenlightaward@bedford2030.org.