Five teams from Rye Country Day School took their talents to Bedford 2030’s 10th Annual Greenlight Awards, a competition for high school students that challenges teens to create practical solutions for environmental issues in their communities. 

Shawn Wei ’26 took home the second-place trophy for his project PlastiLess, a powder that helps tackle microplastic pollution in wastewater by degrading 18% of microplastics into harmless byproducts such as carbon dioxide and water. The powder can be integrated into existing wastewater treatment systems. Shawn started working on as an intern at the Institute of Oceanology in China last summer and has continued working on throughout the 24-25 school year through an independent study with Ms. Linderoth.

Four RCDS Teams also received honorable mention honors for their projects: 

• “BloomAIR” - Daphne Panie ’27  & Tancrede Weinstein ‘27
  • Outstanding Creativity and Use of Technology to Extend Educational Reach 
• “Carbon Canopies, The Tree Sign Initiative” - Parker Maritzen ‘27 & Marguerite McDonald ’27 
  • Outstanding Targeted Engagement Tools
• “Fleaconomy” - Charley Kercher ‘28, Madeleine Stokes ‘28, & Natalie Zhu ‘28 
  • Outstanding School Community Engagement 
• “TrashView” - Michael Goneos ‘27 & Kaitlyn Wong ‘27
  • Excellent Adoption of Technology for an Accessible Solution for Individuals

Congratulations, students!