In its first two months, Catalyst Applied Leadership Semester’s inaugural cohort of juniors has already cruised aboard the historic Western Flyer research vessel, gained hands-on experience operating an underwater ROV, welcomed industry leaders like the Co-CEO of Waymo and the New York Times bestselling author of Radical Candor, and scheduled visits to WindBorne AI, Google X, and Nvidia.

But the most inspiring feature of Menlo’s new program is arguably not the innovative field trips or eminent guest speakers, it’s the “in-between,” as students apply what they’ve learned to develop a systems-thinking approach to tackling some of the most pressing challenges facing our planet today.

An interdisciplinary teaching team co-designed this semester’s rigorous and engaging curriculum centered around confronting climate change. Equal parts public policy and economics, science and engineering, journalism and literature, and applied mathematics, the integrated courses allow students to explore this complex issue from multiple angles. Intrinsic to the experiential learning process is figuring out how to be comfortable problem-solving when there isn’t a clear answer, building confidence amidst ambiguity.

“I’ve learned to expect subtle connections in the most unexpected systems,” said Riko.

Real-World Application

In a recent collaborative assessment, students analyzed disaggregated data from actual communities including Half Moon Bay. The seven-page dossier they received included everything from census and social cohesion data to topographical maps and energy use. Working as a team, they had to apply what they had learned about collective action, engineering, and the energy grid to pitch microgrid placement and implementation, presenting their ideas to the class.

Just two weeks later, Half Moon Bay announced a proposal for a self-contained microgrid downtown. Catalyst students were practically giddy as they compared their ideas to a live, unfolding project—feeling a direct stake in real-world problem solving. “I can’t wait to see what we got right!” exclaimed one student. To which his project partner countered, “Wait, just because Half Moon Bay said it doesn’t mean they got it right.”

For Maren Wolf, Director of Academic Innovation, this is what Catalyst is all about: teaching kids to stop thinking adults have all the answers and start feeling like they have a seat at the table. “As faculty, we’re there to support them in gaining the tools they need to evaluate these vital issues with their peers, and then forge their own paths forward,” she said. “This builds a sense of confidence and agency in their own problem-solving abilities that they’ll carry wherever they go.”

Nature-Inspired Design

Students relied on this initiative in a recent engineering assignment, developing isometric drawings of interventions that use biomimicry to address climate and sustainability challenges. While researching the viability of countering ocean acidification by creating more coral reefs, one group discovered the exacting conditions necessary to grow coral. “We can find plenty of ocean with the right temperature and salinity of water, and we can make a structure, but a lot of the problem is it’s just too deep,” said Merrick. So the team is designing a metal structure that suspends coral at the optimal depth, suspended between a deep-water buoy and an anchoring device.

Riko and Murohn are taking cues from the Namib beetle to collect and store water in times of drought. Just as the beetle angles its body to the wind to collect water on foggy desert nights, they’ve designed a greenhouse that collects condensation on its tilted, ridged glass panel, maximizing water capture. The water then flows into a soil reserve with rocks and mulch to prevent evaporation, replenishing the water table.

Solutions-Based Approach

Eilir was inspired to solve for a problem faced by a farm that she and her classmates recently visited in East Palo Alto. “They had this huge plot of land that they wanted to make into a community garden. But the soil was super compacted so they couldn’t plant anything.” Not only did this prevent them from planting food, but dense soil retains a lot less carbon. So her group chose to mimic an earthworm in their design for a mechanical soil aerator. The intervention features a hollow “ice screw” that can ingest compacted soil and discharge it more loosely, improving plantability and increasing carbon capture.

Other student projects included a solar-powered ocean skimmer modeled on baleen whale filter-feeding to capture floating plastic debris into an onboard storage unit; and a termite mound-inspired data center design using natural ventilation (cool air intake below, hot air exhaust above) to assist liquid GPU cooling and amid growing AI energy use. “In essence, it’s like free air conditioning for the data center,” said Bodhi holding up his sketch with a smile. Asked about what he’s learning through the program, he added, “Catalyst helps you see the connections between subjects and why they matter in real life with present-day issues.”

Transformative Growth

Grappling with climate change through a systems-thinking lens provides no shortage of source material for interdisciplinary, impactful, hands-on education. But the goals of the Catalyst program go far beyond the coursework. “Ideally they all walk out of here convinced climate is a system and they have a role to play in it, but—even more so—they emerge with a greater understanding of themselves and their capacities,” said Maren. “So it’s more about them figuring out who they want to become—and the impact they want their lives to have.”

For Murohn, it’s hard to put this once-in-a-lifetime experience into words. “One thing I know for sure, though, is that this program has brought me so much hope for the future of our planet,” she said. “From meeting with guest speakers to discuss the current development of nuclear fusion, to visiting a community farm using sustainable practices, Catalyst has provided so many opportunities that have shown me how I can change the world.”