High School Draws 800 People to First-Ever Sustainability Summit
Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School (NDCL) in Munson Township, Ohio, held in May the first-ever high school sustainability summit in the country, with help from David L. Cooperrider, a Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) professor. The educational summit, titled “Footprints for the Future: Sustainable School, Sustainable World,” and sponsored by Fairmount Minerals, with the support of BrownFlynn, drew nearly 800 people to the high school campus, including students, faculty, parents, alumni and many external stakeholders from Northeast Ohio.
“The Summit,” according to NDCL President, Sister Jacquelyn Gusdane, SND, “ helped advance NDCL’s mission to prepare leaders whose actions transform their families, workplace and the global community.” Cooperrider, from CWRU’s Weatherhead School of Management, gave participants a multitude of creative sustainability ideas and strategies.
“I don’t know of another high school in the country that has done anything at this magnitude in the sustainability domain,” Cooperrider said. The summit featured two days of prayer, study, reflection and discussion, including a focus on initiatives to meet the needs of the present generation in ways that protect and preserve the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The experience flowed from and advanced NDCL’s commitment to its focus on the responsibility to care for God’s creation.
Throughout the summit, students used models, prototypes, skits and mock newscasts to share their ideas and plans for creating a “sustainable school and sustainable world.” In addition, they formed 28 teams committed to making their ideas a reality and puting their words into action in segmented time periods beginning now and continuing into the future. These teams will be focused on issues such as reducing the school’s carbon footprint, developing at-home sustainability plans, using bottled water, swipe cards, making the cafeteria more “green,” sustainable athletics and a partnership with a Ugandan school.
“This event required real commitment from participants,” said Principal Joseph A. Waler. “You couldn’t just sit back and watch. Everyone needed to play a part, which relates perfectly to the concept of sustainability. If we’re going to create a more sustainable world, we can’t expect others to take care of it for us. So many of our students—with the support of their parents—really pushed themselves to pursue this goal.”
Summing up the success of the event, Dave Enzerra, Lubrizol Corp.’s director of social responsibility and public affairs, said, “The power of collaboration among students, educators, non-profit organizations, businesses and other external stakeholders was evident throughout both days. The leadership displayed by the students and the lessons for success that they taught each other will benefit these young people for the rest of their lives as they pursue their personal and professional dreams.”
For more information, visit www.ndcl.cld.pvt.k12.oh.us.