MEDWAY — Superintendent Armand Pires is pleased to announce that seventh grade student Claire O’Driscoll was recognized by the Medway School Committee on Thursday, Oct. 3, for her advocacy efforts to improve sustainability practices at Medway’s schools.
The Medway School Committee recognized O’Driscoll for her work as the driving force behind the district-wide changes made to the types of serving materials used in school cafeterias. Due to her advocacy, Medway has begun to use recyclable items in their cafeterias.
O’Driscoll spent several lunch periods at school counting how many straws and other plastic items were being used and then thrown away. Because of her passion for the environment, she was bothered by the amount of waste she observed.
After visiting a restaurant in Boston that used all recyclable serving materials, including environmentally friendly spoons, straws and bowls, O’Driscoll was inspired to make Medway’s food service program greener.
With the help of her mom, Julie, O’Driscoll contacted Medway Public School’s Director of Wellness Dr. Ryan Sherman regarding the food service materials Medway used in the cafeterias. O’Driscoll and Dr. Sherman then worked with Director of Dining Services Shawn Fallon to introduce cardboard serving trays and paper straws into the school cafeterias.
“Claire sets a great example of how students can make a difference,” Dr. Sherman said. “She was passionate about sustainability and wanted to do her part to make a difference in our school community.”
“One of Medway’s core values is equity and empowerment for all,” Superintendent Pires said. “As a district, we want to continue to foster these values so we were happy to support Claire in her efforts to provide more eco-friendly products.”
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