Seniors from the Class of 2026 Lead Bullis to Prestigious National Eco-Schools Certification

Bullis School has joined an elite group of just 108 schools nationwide by earning Eco-Schools Green Flag Certification through the National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) Eco-Schools U.S. Program—the organization’s highest honor. Behind this achievement is a story of student vision, collaboration, and lasting impact, led by seniors Toby Altman ’26 and Sanjay Shah ’26, with guidance from their advisor, Mr. Phil Weisgold, whose mentorship helped transform ideas into a structured, campus-wide sustainability initiative.

A Big Goal Takes Root

The seeds of this initiative were planted long before Eco-Schools certification became a goal. Both Toby and Sanjay have had a lifelong passion for the environment, a commitment that naturally led them to sustainability work at Bullis. As sophomores, they noticed that the school had two separate student groups—the Climate Change Club and the Green Team—working toward similar goals but independently.

“Having two clubs with similar missions meant smaller initiatives and split membership,” Toby explained. “By the end of sophomore year, we realized it didn’t make sense to stay separate.”

When the clubs merged, so did their ambitions.

“I had experience with National Green Certification from my elementary school,” Toby said. “I brought the idea to Bullis as something bigger than any one project—something that could really shape the school.”

For Sanjay, the opportunity was equally compelling. “Bullis has such a modern campus, and there’s so much potential to improve sustainability,” he said. “We felt Bullis could really lead in this area.”

Sanjay explained, “I pay close attention to environmental policies and the science behind them because I want to make sure we have a safe future. Right now, we’re not doing enough to address these challenges. Too often, people focus on making money or cutting corners—but when it comes to the environment, there really aren’t any corners to cut.”

Leadership Through Structure

Eco-Schools Certification recognizes schools that achieve measurable environmental impact while emphasizing student-led leadership, collaboration, and reflection. Schools pursuing this honor document over 100 points of achievement and integrate sustainability into everyday learning, with recognition offered at four levels—Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Green Flag. Green Flag sits at the top, honoring schools that demonstrate significant impact, embed sustainability into school culture, engage students in leadership, and connect environmental initiatives with classroom learning.

For Bullis, the Eco-Schools Certification reflects a shared commitment among students, faculty, and the community—and underscores the powerful role students can play in driving institutional progress. The year-long process required careful planning, implementation, documentation, and reflection. Sanjay and Toby began their work at the start of the 2024–2025 school year and completed the extensive application during the third trimester.

“You have to complete everything before you document it,” Sanjay said. “So there’s a lot of planning and writing involved.”

To manage the effort, the students reorganized the Green Team into focused branches, each tackling a specific area of sustainability. This structure created opportunities for younger students to assume meaningful leadership roles and ensured that the team’s environment- and community-based actions connected directly to classroom learning, bridging schoolwork with real-world impact.

The Green Team in Action

While Sanjay and Toby provided vision and coordination, the Eco-Schools certification initiative came to life thanks to the contributions of their peers, each bringing unique energy and expertise to the project. Lia Perera ’26 energized younger students by presenting to middle schoolers about the school’s solar panels and renewable energy, while also contributing to the written application and leading school-wide drives to encourage the reuse of materials.

Taras Tsyganok ’26 played a key role in documenting the team’s efforts for the certification application, helped start the school’s process for a composting program, and assisted in planting a Middle School garden outside Trone. Similarly, Mason Charkatz ’26 combined hands-on and educational efforts, supporting the written application, leading sustainability presentations and initiatives in the Lower School, and joining in planting the garden alongside his classmates.

Miles Walters ’26 captured the work visually, designing club meeting presentations and managing the photography and documentation that were essential to the application. Meanwhile, Benjamin Whiting-Eisemann ’26 contributed to the written application, supported composting initiatives, and helped cultivate the Middle School garden.

Together, these students ensured that Bullis’s Eco-Schools Certification reflected a collaborative, student-driven effort. Their work was grounded in careful documentation, hands-on learning, and a shared commitment to sustainability that reached across every division of the school.

Sustainability That Endures

The Eco-School Certification must be renewed annually, making continuity essential.

“We’re bringing in junior leadership so they can learn the process and continue this effort after we graduate,” Toby said. “The goal was never for this to end with us.”

This forward-looking approach captures the heart of Eco-Schools: embedding sustainability into school culture rather than treating it as a one-time achievement.

Values-Driven Recognition

The students intentionally pursued a certification that reflected their personal values and the school’s commitment to sustainability. Choosing the National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools U.S. Program provided national recognition and opportunities for impact beyond campus, including a meeting with Montgomery County Council member Evan Glass to discuss local environmental policy.

A Meaningful Milestone

Eco-Schools Green Flag Certification celebrates measurable environmental impact alongside student leadership, collaboration, and reflection. For Bullis, it reflects a community-wide commitment to stewardship and demonstrates the remarkable outcomes when students are empowered to lead.

Congratulations to the entire Bullis Green Team—Lia Perera ’26, Taras Tsyganok ’26, Mason Charkatz ’26, Miles Walters ’26, and Benjamin Whiting-Eisemann ’26—to Mr. Weisgold, and especially to Sanjay Shah ’26 and Toby Altman ’26, whose vision and persistence guided the initiative from start to finish. Thanks to their leadership, sustainability will continue to be a vibrant and enduring part of the Bullis community for years to come.