Eastlake High School students lead sustainability initiative

Eastlake High School junior and EHS PTSA Sustainability Co-Chair Haarika Nidadavolu, along with her fellow co-chairs and student volunteers, are spearheading an educational initiative aimed at making sustainability a daily practice for students. The team is dedicated to developing educational materials and delivering presentations at local schools, with plans to expand their efforts to reach a wider audience.

Last spring, Haarika Nidadavolu, Abbie Huang and Everett Freeman presented on the impact of plastic waste to elementary students at McAuliffe and Alcott Elementary Schools. The presentations highlighted the problem of plastic pollution, its effects on humans and wildlife and practical steps young students can take to reduce plastic waste. Interactive activities, such as writing personal pledges and brainstorming creative solutions, kept the students engaged.

The event took place on May 8 at Alcott Elementary during their after-school STEM Night and on May 23 at McAuliffe Elementary. The team plans to continue their outreach by presenting at the Sammamish Farmers Market in August.

This initiative is part of a larger commitment by Eastlake High School’s sustainability team to inspire a culture of environmental responsibility. The EHS PTSA Sustainability committee also organizes Future Fridays, promoting simple, actionable ways to live sustainably. They invite other schools to join their efforts by reaching out to the Eastlake PTSA Sustainability committee at ehsptsa@sustainability.org.