Bioethics Project Cohort Selected for 2026–2027

The Ethics Institute at Kent Place recently completed a competitive application process for the 2026–2027 Bioethics Project. Twelve students — rising 10th-, 11th-, and 12th-graders — have earned a spot for the 15th-annual program, which is offered in collaboration with the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University.

The students in next year’s cohort are Amalia Benke ’27, Audrey Hong ’27, Addie Brugg ’28, Bella Builione ’28, Nicole Hoffman ’28, Grayson Materne ’28, Ellie Ritter ’28, Krisha Shankarnarayan ’28, Naomi McCreary ’29, Soon Min Pearlman ’29, Summer Rae Sharma ’29, and Carolyn Weng ’29.

The Bioethics Project, a pioneering ethics course for secondary schools, is a signature program of the Ethics Institute. It’s modeled after the Hastings Center’s research methodology, which brings together stakeholders and experts to explore the ethical and social implications of a particular bioethics issue. The theme for next year is “Basic Needs, Bioethical Challenges: The Future of Food and Water.” Throughout the academic year, students will learn about ethical issues impacting our environment and our population and address access and resource allocation, the environmental impact of technological advances such as artificial intelligence, and the roles governments and private companies play in these arenas.

Students had to submit applications indicating their interest in bioethics and next year’s theme. They were then asked to read and write a response to an article entitled “AI, data centers, and water: A growing need for regional coordination amid economic development potential,” which was followed by an interview with the selection committee. 

The Bioethics Project will begin this summer, with a two-week intensive course to lay the foundation for what’s to come. In September, Bioethics students select specific topics and are paired with mentors from the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown. They then spend the year researching their topics and framing their ethical arguments, followed by a symposium at which they present their work. Finally, students write papers summarizing their research.

“I look forward to working with next year’s outstanding cohort of students,” says Karen Rezach, Director. “The Bioethics Project is the premier program of the Ethics Institute, and I applaud all of the students who applied and congratulate those who were accepted to participate.”