Porter Interns Lead Environmental Activities

Many Porter School students choose to participate in our special internship program, which offers exciting opportunities for involvement in nationwide environmental activities. Porter interns are assigned to a range of dynamic Israeli nonprofits, where they contribute their knowledge and skills to various sustainability endeavors.

Establishing original initiatives

A large portion of our interns are instrumental in the establishment and development of original environmental projects. Mor Shusha, for example, works with the Heschel Sustainability Center, developing a program entitled Energy Efficiency Week for local authorities; another student, Avigdor Sharon, an experienced database expert, assists in the establishment of a new information center for the Israel Green Building Council; while Ben Dgani and Reut Zamir help the Tel Aviv Municipality introduce a Green Seal for Businesses into the city's food sector.

Promoting green practices

Other students work with various nonprofits to promote green practices in the community. One of them is Dafna Ori, a coordinator for 15 Minutes, an organization focusing on the improvement of public transportation in Israel; her fellow student Lior Barabash conducts research for Green Course, addressing Israel's student community; and Guy Milman promotes sustainability awareness among residents of the Negev, as part of activities for social change implemented by Tor HaMidbar.

Targeting decision makers

Another course of action served by Porter interns directly targets Israel's decision makers. Mark Polikovski, working with the Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, helps scientists pass on scientific info to regulators, regarding damage to the sea and beach environments; Yariv Naor writes position papers and meets key personages on behalf of Zalul, an organization dedicated to the protection of Israel's seas and rivers; and Nurit Meron, an architect by profession, advises the self-governed cities of Forum 15 on the adoption Israel's official Green Building Standard.

In these ways, and many others, our students take part in the nationwide effort to make Israel a sustainable, environmentally aware society.