Six students in the Bolles Global Scholar Program traveled to New York to participate in the Global Entrepreneurship Challenge (GEC) May 18-20. The GEC, hosted by Scarsdale High School, brings together teams of students from around the world to solve global issues. This year, teams were tasked with creating a product or service to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

Vichy Chen ’27, Liam Meier ’27, Grace Miller ’27, Olivia Owens ’27, Sohan Patel ’27 and Ada Ertekin-Taner ’27 created Byte Back, a business that collects e-waste and redistributes it to nonprofit organizations focused on education. The students found that IT departments may need to replace their technology every few years, yet that technology is still in excellent condition and can be used by other organizations. The students researched the growing problem of e-waste, interviewed e-waste companies around the country to explore different business models and created a plan that would work in the Jacksonville area. The students collected and redistributed more than100 laptops.

Bolles Director of Global Learning and Engagement Allison Chandler and upper school social studies teacher Kimberly Dividu accompanied the Global Scholars. While in New York, the students also visited the United Nations Headquarters to learn more about intercultural dialogue and how member states are addressing global issues. #BollesGlobal