MEF launches first-ever student-run Tree Lot, reviving community spirit while creating hands-on leadership opportunities
In a season when Malibu residents are still rebuilding routines and traditions after a year marked by displacement and disruption, one long-held community event has returned with a renewed purpose — and new leadership.
The Malibu Education Foundation (MEF) has launched its first-ever student-led Holiday Tree Lot, marking a significant evolution in how one of the community’s most successful seasonal fundraisers is organized, operated, and imagined for the future.
The Tree Lot, open through Dec. 14 at the Loki Lot next to the Malibu Library, is now operated under a pilot model that places Malibu High School students at the helm of day-to-day operations. MEF President Karin Al-Hardan says the new design is intended not only to raise funds for Malibu’s public schools but also to create real, hands-on leadership opportunities for teens.
“This model empowers students to step into real-world leadership roles,” Al-Hardan explained. “They’re running a two-week business — learning operations, understanding inventory, managing volunteers, and shaping a new tradition.”
While the Tree Lot has deep roots in Malibu — previously operated for many years by the Malibu High School Athletic Booster Club (ABC) — 2025 marks the first year the event is fully integrated under MEF’s vision, with an emphasis on benefitting all four Malibu public schools.
“After many years of running the Tree Lot as a Booster Club fundraiser, we are thrilled to partner with the Malibu Education Foundation as this tradition evolves into a student-led model,” said Tatiana Goode, president of ABC, in a statement. “This new direction supports every school in Malibu while keeping the heart of the tradition intact.”
Under the pilot structure, two high school students serve as the inaugural leaders: Student Manager Andrew Uznis, a Malibu High senior, and Assistant Manager Parker Kaplan, a sophomore. The pair oversees everything from volunteer scheduling and customer service to stocking, sales, and supervising their peers.
“Running the Tree Lot is a huge responsibility, but it’s an incredible opportunity too,” Uznis shared. We’re learning how to run a real operation — from scheduling volunteers to helping customers.”
Kaplan added that the leadership opportunity feels meaningful beyond the season itself. “We’re excited to step into leadership and help shape the future of the Tree Lot,” he said. “We want to build a tradition future students can benefit from and take pride in.”
Al-Hardan says the long-term vision is to create a structured, highly sought-after leadership pathway for Malibu teens — one that may eventually include partnerships with entrepreneurship programs at Pepperdine University and Santa Monica College.
“This year, students are really working side by side with us,” she said. “We ordered the trees, set pricing, and set up the infrastructure. But we’re walking them through all the steps — what’s sold, what inventory is left, what we need to break even. They’re learning the business of it.”
In future years, MEF hopes to begin recruiting the next year’s manager and assistant manager as early as January, incorporating them into the entire process — from ordering trees to coordinating marketing and establishing operational goals.
“This can become a rite of passage for Malibu High students,” Al-Hardan said. “A chance to learn business and leadership in a supportive, real-world environment.”
Volunteer engagement appears to support that vision. Student turnout in 2025 has already surpassed last year’s, something Al-Hardan attributes partly to the lingering desire for normalcy after the Franklin Fire and other disruptions that shook the community over the past year.
“The kids are really embracing the fact that they can be at the lot,” she said. “It brings back a bit of normalcy, and the bigger ownership role makes a real difference. It gives them a sense of control, a sense of pride.”
Beyond its educational value, the Tree Lot serves as MEF’s second-largest fundraiser of the year, following its annual gala. The organization is funding more than $600,000 in academic aides, arts programs, athletics, tutoring, and community engagement programs this year — resources that have become even more essential as the conversation around Malibu’s move toward an independent school district accelerates.
“Our role becomes even more important with unification on the horizon,” Al-Hardan explained. “We will be the stop-gap for the first few years. Community support at the Tree Lot directly strengthens these programs.”
Purchases made above fair market value are tax-deductible, and proceeds support classroom aides, arts education, athletic programs, tutoring, and initiatives that help students recover from the roughly month-long loss of school days caused by fire-related closures last year.
The lot carries Nordmann, Noble, and Douglas firs, all freshly delivered from Oregon and kept well-watered inside the large enclosed tent. The selection also includes wreaths created through MEF’s partnership with ABC, garland, and student-made ornaments — snowflake designs engraved with the names of Malibu’s canyons.
The lot offers local delivery as well, handled by Malibu middle and high school students accompanied by parent drivers. Prices remain competitive with tree lots “over the hill,” Al-Hardan noted, eliminating the need for residents to travel far for high-quality trees.
A “Giving Tree” onsite also allows community members to donate $20 and add their name, with contributions going directly to MEF’s programs.
In addition to tree sales, the lot will host two major community events:
Community Night & Holiday Market — Friday, Dec. 12, 3 to 9 p.m.
The festive evening will feature holiday lights, food trucks, student performances, a DJ, artisan vendors, hands-on kids’ activities, and photos with Santa. With more than 20 local makers participating, the Holiday Market brings a lively shopping experience to the heart of Malibu.
Dick Van Dyke’s 100th Birthday Celebration — Saturday, Dec. 13, 10 a.m to 7 p.m.
Malibu will gather to honor one of its most beloved residents, Dick Van Dyke, on his milestone birthday. The celebration includes cake, music from his classic films, themed photo opportunities, and a giant community birthday card designed by Malibu High senior and aspiring visual artist Maizee Marderosian.
Proceeds from the day will benefit the Van Dyke Endowment for the Arts, which supports arts programming across Malibu’s four public schools.
For MEF and the many volunteers involved, the student-led model is more than a fundraiser—it’s a community-building effort and a powerful educational opportunity.
“We’re thrilled that the Tree Lot includes students from all four schools,” said Nora Cohen, Tree Lot Co-Chair and Webster PTA President. “When elementary students volunteer, they feel connected. It gives them something to look forward to as they move into middle and high school. This is how we build a tradition they can grow into and one day lead.”
Tree Lot Chair and MEF Vice President Amber Vanderbilt agrees: “We’re giving students the chance to run a real community business — making decisions, managing volunteers, and shaping an experience families look forward to each year.”
For Al-Hardan, the message to the Malibu community is simple: “Come support the Education Foundation and all our schools. Our students lost so many learning days last year, and the programs we fund help in that recovery. But beyond that, the Tree Lot reconnects us. Everybody comes through here. It’s just a great place to gather.”