A Message from our New Project Green Schools Student Co-Presidents, Belle Allmendinger and Harjap Singh
I am the 2017/2018 Co-President of Project Green Schools and have been part of the NGSS family for four years. I am a senior at Manchester Essex High School and President of my school’s Green Team. I joined Green Team as a freshman and started an aquaponics project that I continued for three years. At the end of my freshman year, I became President and have been ever since. To put it simply, I yearn to have my voice heard on issues concerning the environment. I absolutely hate not doing anything, so I am always trying to think of and do new things. Whether that involves starting green initiatives in my home or in my community, I need to get involved.
Last year, Project Green Schools invited me to help on a big project. The PGS President at that time, Mark Thekkethala, and I drafted a resolution to submit to the Massachusetts State Congress.
The resolution dedicates the week around World Water Day to water education. It was our goal to submit the resolution this year, and I am excited to continue working on it. Since Mark has graduated and I am left, it is now my goal to get the students and schools in the Green Schools network to promote and submit the resolution together. I envision us coming together to show support for change on a governmental level. From here I see us affecting similar change across the nation and hopefully play a role at the Climate Summit in Boston this year.
With our current Presidential Administration, we are going to have to take more and stronger action in order to keep progressing toward an environmentally sustainable future. We have seen states and companies continuing initiatives mandated under the Obama Administration. We are at a crucial point in time where the change is going to have to come from policy, and I believe that Project Green Schools can and will be at the forefront.
A Resolution to Dedicate a Week to Developing the awareness of water use, waste, conservation, and recycling.
WHEREAS, Water is a precious, finite resource that our lives and society are dependent on; and
WHEREAS, The vulnerability of Massachusetts’ water system poses a threat to all current and future Massachusetts residents’ standard of living; and
WHEREAS, Especially during times of drought when the majority of the state experiences water deficits, as can be seen in the current situation of many residents since June of 2016; and
WHEREAS, Due to the looming effects of climate change, and made clear by the failure observed in California, attention must be brought to how Massachusetts uses, wastes, and is able to conserve water; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Congress here assembled make the following declaration of support for awareness; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the week surrounding March 22, World Water Day, be dedicated to the awareness of and education on the Massachusetts water system as well as the use, conservation, and recycling of water.
I am a sophomore attending Princeton Day School in New Jersey. One of my greatest passions include sustainability and working to create a more sustainable world for the future. Harjap is passionately involved in the EnAct (Environmental Action) club at Princeton Day School and I am serving as a co-head of the club this year and currently working to create a solar powered charging system at my school. Apart from school. I am a member of iMatter Youth working to take local action in Princeton and the Sierra Student Coalition Climate Justice League consisting of high school and college members from across the country taking action against climate change. This past summer, I attended the Student Conservation Corps and Congress, a week long leadership program aimed towards empowering youth to take environmental action. I am also an intern for the Green Schools Alliance and enjoys working with them under the communications department. This year I am very excited to be the Co-President of and lead the Project Green Schools Youth Leadership Council.
