Students Explore Germany and Switzerland in Hopes of Creating a Sustainable Future

A cohort of 13 Upper School students and three faculty members explored Switzerland and Germany and represented Moorestown Friends School at a three-day Global Leadership Summit – “Creating a Sustainable Future” in Berlin, Germany in July.

This trip is a model for future thematic Global Engagement experiences, aligning with a Strategic Plan goal to design educational experiences that are timely and relevant and encourage global understanding as well as deeper self-awareness for students.

At the Summit, 800 students (from 23 U.S. states and 12 countries) were assigned to innovation teams to prototype solutions to sustainability challenges. MFS students were leaders, thinkers, and tinkerers, collaborating across differences, and bringing an entrepreneurial mindset to international teamwork. 

“Working with students from different parts of the world was a unique and interesting challenge,” said Head of School Julia de la Torre, one of the faculty trip leaders. “Our students’ Quaker values were on full display as they navigated these interactions with flexibility and brought together disparate views to help their teams reach unity around an innovative idea as part of the design thinking process.”

The educational theme of environmental sustainability was carried throughout the trip and beyond the Summit, as students participated in a variety of hands-on learning experiences. At the UNESCO Entlebuch Biosphere in Schüpfheim, Switzerland, the group learned about the environmental benefits of peat bogs and explored renewable energy sources. At Mt. Titlis, also in Switzerland, students explored 5,000 years of ice layers in an ice cave and stood atop a glacier that was predicted to be at risk of disappearing in the next 25 years. They learned about local efforts to minimize the impact of fossil fuels and increase self-sufficiency at Breitnau Energie in the Black Forest of Germany.

A highlight was the visit to Freiburg, Germany, a community which has reinvented itself as a green city over the past few decades. Bicycles take priority over cars; 900-year waterways provide a water source and cooling mechanism for residents; an energy positive City Hall produces more power than it uses, and much more. Berlin was the location of the Summit and there were opportunities to explore the sites of this historic city. The MFS group made a point to travel via the advanced public transportation system.

Mason Levens ’25 provided a reflection about his experience on the trip and at the Summit:

“A key area of personal growth that I developed while traveling through Switzerland and Germany was an ability to make cross-cultural connections that I had not considered before. I think it is one thing to read about a destination, language, or culture, but a whole different experience to engage with these areas in person. Though I have always been a student that is interested in geography, having the ability to visit this region in Europe provided me with a much clearer picture not only of the region itself, but of the ideas, perspectives, and beliefs found within it. At the Summit, the majority of attendees were from the United States; many, just like me, had never traveled to Europe before. The conversations I had at the Summit were beyond insightful, as I learned what thoughts other students from the United States had on their experience touring different regions in Europe. The understanding of these different perspectives from fellow students not only enabled me to appreciate the presence of different ideas regarding global education, but also allowed me to develop innovative ideas to bring back to the MFS community.”

Mason’s mother Victoria Kuhn commented on the transformative experience for Mason and all of the MFS students:

“The Global Leadership Summit, and travel experiences like the Summit, provide our students with the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture, environment, society, and wonderment of being a traveler. It is an empowering opportunity for personal growth, and to appreciate the role we play as stewards for our amazing world. The Summit provided the incredible opportunity for personal growth and stewardship. Mason embraced the unique cultural experiences throughout Switzerland and Germany, stretched his comfort zone (including an effort to overcome an aversion of heights) as he ascended the tremendous altitude of the beautiful Swiss Alps, and grew as a global traveler and steward for our world. These in-depth global experiences are what makes MFS unique. Mason will cherish this experience for a lifetime.”

Students are now charged with sharing their new learnings and perspectives with the MFS community. They are designing environmental action projects to improve and impact the MFS and/or their local communities that they will develop and execute during the 2023-24 school year.

This experience was funded in great part by the generosity of an anonymous donor.