Students Learn about Going Green With The Economist

The Economist’s Sustainability Virtual Week brought together industry leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, researchers – and students from Courtney White’s sustainability course at Masters.

The virtual nature of the conference, which took place from Monday, October 5 through Friday, October 9, provided students with unforeseen access to sessions. The schedule included speakers and panels ranging from “In Conversation with Bill Gates” to “Scaling Action on Sustainability Amid COVID-19.”
 
White, an upper school science teacher, explained, “I hope students are invigorated to be ‘in conversation’ with global sustainability leaders. I believe students will discover new opportunities for teasing out complex problems, seeking solutions, and taking action. I strongly believe that conferences, like this, provide a unique opportunity for learning.”
 
As part of White’s course, students assessed the topics and became familiar with speakers’ positions and organizations prior to attending sessions. Then, students reflected on their experience and identified key takeaways from the presentations. Many felt the conference captured a sense of urgency and illustrated the collaboration necessary to improve the environment.
 
Rachel Schwartz ’21, reflected on her participation. “The conference gave me real insight into what the world is doing and should be doing to prevent climate change from getting too far. I learned how the pandemic has given us an opportunity to regrow our economy and businesses in an environmentally friendly way. The speakers showed me what real solutions look like rather than just theoretical ideas. After watching a few of the conference sessions, I feel hopeful that we can pull ourselves together to build a better, greener future.”
 
“I am certain Masters students have important voices in tackling real-world challenges with creativity and ingenuity,” says White.

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