SOAR Students Explore Sustainability at BizHaus

A Scavenger Hunt with a Purpose

In a city known for innovation, collaboration, and community, something special took place at BizHaus El Segundo this month. Passionate high school students from across the South Bay came together for a Grades of Green SOAR meetup—a day dedicated to creativity, collaboration, and real-world environmental learning.

As part of the day’s activities, students participated in an interactive Sustainability Scavenger Hunt designed to help them identify real-world examples of sustainable (and not-so-sustainable) practices. Grouped into teams of 3–4, they explored the BizHaus co-working space with the goal of observing how sustainability shows up in a modern office environment.

Here’s what they found:

What’s working well:

  • Skylights for natural lighting

  • Motion-activated office lights

  • Water refill stations

  • Reusable kitchenware

Where there’s room to grow:

  • Electronics left on or in empty rooms

  • Single-use snack packaging

  • Inconsistent recycling bins

  • No composting options

SOAR students at Bizhaus participate in the scavenger hunt

The activity gave students a chance to apply their environmental knowledge in a real-world setting, sharpen their critical thinking, and spark meaningful conversations about sustainable design and behavior.

We’re proud of how thoughtful and engaged our students were throughout the day. Their insights are a testament to the power of youth-led environmental action—exactly what Grades of Green is all about.

A big thank you to BizHaus for welcoming us into their space, and to all the students who participated with curiosity and intention. We’re excited to continue these conversations and build on this momentum at future meet-ups!

If you’d like to learn more about the SOAR Eco-Innovation Academy or are interested in getting involved, click the button below to visit our SOAR page for more information.

If you share our passion for environmental education and are interested in partnering with us through the SOAR Eco-Innovation Academy to inspire high school students and share your sustainability practices, we’d love to connect. To explore partnership opportunities, please reach out to our SOAR & RISE Senior Programs Manager, Robyn Murphy, at robynm@gradesofgreen.org.

Isabella Lee
Multmedia Outreach & Operations Specialist

Born and raised in Los Angeles County, Isabella studied Psychology at UCLA with a focus on Digital Humanities and Community Engagement. A lifelong creative, she’s been drawing since childhood and has explored many forms of art—from painting and digital illustration to video editing. During college, Isabella discovered a passion for user experience design, which combined her technical skills with her love for thoughtful, people-centered problem solving. She gained hands-on experience in UX, website design, and project management through various academic projects and internships. Isabella is proud to support environmental education through Grades of Green, where she brings together her creativity and advocacy. In high school, her artwork was recognized in an international ocean awareness competition, and in college, she received an award from a UCLA student organization for a piece highlighting the connection between nature and mental health. Outside of work, Isabella enjoys reading, drawing, and finding inspiration in everyday moments.

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