On March 27, 2025, six 10th-grade students from Cornell High School took part in the Student Sustainable Design Challenge in Pittsburgh, PA. This regional event encouraged student engagement with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through real-world problem solving.

The Cornell team began their journey at a kickoff event, where they learned about the SDGs from expert presenters and participated in round-table discussions with professionals working in sustainability-related fields. Inspired by the need for fresh produce in underserved communities, the students focused their project on food insecurity.

After researching crops suitable for Cornell’s greenhouse, they developed a plan to grow vegetables for the local food bank in Coraopolis. To extend the impact of their project, the team also created and delivered a lesson on sustainable agriculture to two Environmental Science classes, who then selected and planted crops in the school’s greenhouse and classroom grow stations.

At the final showcase held at Rodef Shalom Congregation, students Drake Barr, Luke Stutzman, and Alexa Perez represented the group by presenting a poster and fielding questions about their work. They also connected with peers from other schools to share ideas and celebrate student-driven sustainability initiatives.

Through this project, Cornell students not only addressed a local community need but also inspired younger students to take part in sustainable agriculture efforts.