Senator Hassan Recognizes Flo Dapice of Hopkinton as May’s Granite Stater of the Month

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan recognized Flo Dapice of Hopkinton as May’s Granite Stater of the Month. At just 16 years old, Flo leads her school’s Environmental Action Club and serves as a student representative on the Hopkinton School Board, focusing on improving environmental sustainability in her school and in her town.

Flo is an active member of her school’s Environmental Action Club and led the club in applying for grants from the New Hampshire Energy Education Project and the Hopkinton Public Schools Foundation. The club was awarded more than $11,000 in grants, which enabled the members to start a composting program to reduce lunch food waste at their school. The club is now working on replacing all of the disposable cutlery in the cafeteria with reusable metal utensils.

In addition to sustainability efforts at school, Flo has sought out additional public service opportunities so that she can make more of a difference. She currently serves as one of two student representatives on the Hopkinton School Board, and as a member of Hopkinton’s Energy Steering Committee. Flo’s dedication to serving her community and to combating climate change is a great example of the Granite State spirit of working to make a difference, no matter one’s age.

Senator Hassan launched the “Granite Stater of the Month” initiative in 2017 to recognize outstanding New Hampshire citizens who go above and beyond to help their neighbors and make their communities stronger. To nominate a New Hampshire citizen to be a “Granite Stater of the Month,” constituents can complete the nomination form here.

To read Senator Hassan’s statement for the Congressional Record, see below.

I am honored to recognize Flo Dapice of Hopkinton as May’s Granite Stater of the Month. At just 16 years old, Flo is working to improve environmental sustainability at her school and in her town by leading her school’s Environmental Action Club efforts and by serving in local government positions.

Flo’s long-time interest in sustainability made her a perfect fit for the Environmental Action Club at her high school. She led the club in applying for grants from the New Hampshire Energy Education Project and the Hopkinton Public Schools Foundation. The club was awarded more than $11,000, which allowed it to start a compost program at their school for lunch food waste. The club has evaluated the program and already found a decrease in how much compostable waste is ending up in the trash from last year to this year. Now, Flo and her fellow club members are continuing to work to strengthen the program, and in turn, lead to less food waste at the school.

The next project that Flo and the club are planning is a transition to using metal silverware in the school’s cafeteria, instead of disposable plastic utensils. They have already purchased the silverware through more grant funding and are recruiting students to help wash the extra dishes. Flo is also planning to continue her involvement with the New Hampshire Energy Education Project, which works with students and teachers to build a deeper understanding of energy and climate; she recently helped lead a middle school summit with the program.

In addition to sustainability efforts at school, Flo has sought out additional opportunities for public service so that she can make more of a difference. She became interested in local government in middle school during the Covid-19 pandemic, and she now serves as one of two student representatives on the Hopkinton School Board and as a member of Hopkinton’s Energy Steering Committee. Her service on the school board strengthened her efforts to apply for grants for her school’s compost program, and on both the school board and the Energy Committee, she has pushed for more ways to reduce carbon emissions. 

Flo’s dedication to serving her community through combating climate change is a great example of the Granite State spirit of working to make a difference, no matter your age. Her passion for bettering her school and her town is why I am honored to recognize her as Granite Stater of the Month.

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