Student Sustainability Spotlight: Avi Cariens ’25
Avi Cariens ’25 has a deep-rooted commitment to sustainability shaped by his family history and community. Inspired by his grandfather, an environmental chemist, Avi is determined to carry on that legacy.
As a longtime resident of Concord, Mass., he is dedicated to creating meaningful change in his beloved hometown. “My passion for sustainability stems from a desire to care for our land,” he says. “I want to understand our origins, the places we inhabit, and where we want to go.”
He is an environmental representative and is on the Food and Waste Management subcommittee of the school’s Sustainability Committee. He is also a co-founder of OAC (Organic Action for Communities), a student-led council focused on establishing a network of gardens across campus. OAC champions sustainability by creating infrastructure and hosting educational programs.
OAC has cultivated seven garden beds on campus, including four pollinator gardens designed to attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The three vegetable gardens provide nourishing meals for students and contribute fresh produce to the local community, thanks to a partnership with Dining Hall Manager Shawna Penders.
Through OAC, Avi has built essential partnerships with faculty and staff members across the school, such as Director of Operations Mick McSorley P’27, to construct the garden beds, and Director of Residential Life Annie Bailey P’25 ’27, to coordinate student programming.
Avi collaborates with science teacher Chris Labosier, also CA’s environmental sustainability and justice coordinator, to develop an overall strategy for achieving his goals. “CA has so many people that are passionate about the environment, and Chris is helping to bring it all together, unite everybody, and get us all on the same page with a clear direction,” Avi says.
He believes education plays a crucial role in sustainability. In the spring of 2023, he spearheaded an assembly in collaboration with CA history teachers, exploring land stewardship from both Indigenous and colonial perspectives. Over the summer, Avi also taught gardening to campers aged 3 to 14 at CA Summer Camp, to help them understand the importance of agriculture.
“What I enjoyed most about the experience of teaching was observing the curiosity and care that each camper expressed for nature and the environment,” Avi says. The campers actively participated in mulching, maintaining, and harvesting the gardens while learning how to prevent the spread of invasive species.
His next project aims to revitalize a garden behind Monroe House, transforming it into a sustainable space for students and faculty alike. Additionally, he is developing a rainwater collection system to harness natural rainfall for garden irrigation.
In addition to these projects, Avi is eager to utilize the school’s new Sustainability Tracking and Roadmap Tool (START) software to track food waste metrics. He emphasizes that reducing food waste will minimize CA’s methane emissions, conserve natural resources, and lower the school’s carbon footprint.
Ultimately, Avi envisions a culture of sustainability at CA that empowers collective action among the faculty, staff, students, and alums. “I want everyone to be able to say, ‘I’ve been a steward of this place called Concord Academy. This is my home. I care about it, and I’ve made it a better place.’”
