Jonny Cohen

Highland Park, IL | 19

2014 Award Recipient

During a walk home from school in seventh grade, an inventive Jonny Cohen wondered about the environmental footprint of the school buses that passed by him. Jonny began contemplating how a change in design might minimize emissions and cut down on fuel costs for buses nationwide. That led Jonny to launch GreenShields to design and bring to production aerodynamic add-ons for the roofs of school buses. After months of trials and tests, Jonny arrived at a prototype proven to increase school bus fuel efficiency by 10 percent and significantly reduce environmental emissions. Today GreenShields is fully operational, working with an initial bus company in Florida, and continuing to grow with the help of skilled volunteers and advisors. Jonny continues his research at Columbia University, where he is studying mechanical engineering and creating his own internship program in the engineering department to involve environmentally-savvy peers in his work. By collaborating with his professors and network of supporters, Jonny is bringing GreenShields ever closer to fulfilling his goal of providing every school bus in the U.S. with his GreenShields add-on at-cost or for free.