Officials Celebrate West Virginia and Kentucky ED-GRS Honorees

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) recognizes schools, districts and postsecondary institutions that are 1) reducing environmental impact and costs; 2) improving health and wellness; and 3) teaching environmental education.  To share innovative practices and widely-available resources in these three ‘Pillars,’ the Department conducts an annual Green Strides Best Practices Tour of honorees.  State and local leaders tell of their visits to ED-GRS honorees on the West Virginia and Kentucky leg which kicked off the 2014 tour from Aug. 18-22:

From the Tour in West Virginia: Moving Sustainability Forward in the Mountain State

Before 2011, many organizations in West Virginia were holding green schools workshops that helped participants become more sustainable. But ED-GRS has provided a common goal for those engaged in the sustainable schools movement, and a new direction for our conversation on healthy schools and high-achieving students.  ED-GRS has helped a small but deeply-rooted sustainability community to grow less isolated, and more effective. Now we are using a few exemplary schools to inspire other schools to expand their efforts.  For this reason, it was a pleasure to have federal, state and local visitors tour our ED-GRS honorees to learn about innovative, hands-on curricula, community partnerships, and sustainability practices that advance learning, health and cost savings. Read this blog about the West Virginia tour. Also catch the tour in the Wyoming County Report, Wheeling Intelligencer, and Charleston (WV) Gazette. >>>

Cameron Middle-High School, in Cameron, WV is using solar panels to power greenhouses as part of the school’s Agricultural Education program. Future Farmers of America students produce eggs, hams, bacon, and produce to sell to faculty, students, and the community.

Eastwood Elementary, in Morgantown, West Virginia, is designed to maximize the amount of daylighting through classroom orientation, oversize windows with light shelves and sunscreens, sloped ceilings, light classroom wall colors, and automatic sensors.  A 30% water savings is achieved through the use of waterless urinals, dual-flush toilets, and reduced-flow fixtures.  

From the Tour in Kentucky: Uniting for Sustainable Excellence

Kentucky schools have been working toward achieving sustainability in school facilities and aligning those with student wellness and environmental literacy efforts, but it was ED-GRS that provided the framework our state needed to address these areas cohesively.  Now, each conversation that we have about building performance, student wellness, or environmental learning is rooted in the understanding that these are most effective when addressed together. To highlight this coordinated work, Kentucky was pleased to co-host the first leg of the second annual Green Strides Best Practices Tour. Read about the Kentucky tour in this blog. Also catch the tour in Georgetown News-Graphic, Fayette County Public Schools, and Kentucky School Boards Association articles. >>>

Locust Trace AgriScience Farm is a new, net-zero construction that opened in August 2011, featuring permeable pavement, solar energy, solatube daylighting, a green roof, and a constructed wetland waste disposal system. Students study Agriculture, Plant and Land Science; Agriculture Power Mechanics; Equine Studies; Small and Large Animal Science; or Veterinary Science.

Rosa Parks Elementary School is one of two sustainability pilot schools for Fayette County Public Schools.  It uses the US EPA’s Portfolio Manager to track its energy reduction progress of more than 70 percent  achieved through simple conservation measures. 

...And Head to South Florida for the Next Stop on the Tour on Sept. 4-5th

On September 4 and 5, several of south Florida’s U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools and District Sustainability Awardees in Palm Beach County and Broward County will welcome numerous federal, state and local officials. The tours and conversations will highlight what districts and schools are doing to improve the overall wellness, productivity, and achievement of students through facilities, health and environmental education.  On Thursday, the tour will stop at Pine Jog Elementary School and its eponymous Environmental Education Center, as well Galaxy Elementary School.  The City of West Palm Beach will host an afternoon social.  On Friday, it will travel to Silver Ridge Elementary, Driftwood Middle School, and Plantation High School, as well as the Hugh Taylor Birch Youth Lodge, where visitors will learn about several Broward schools. The full Florida schedule can be found here. >>>

Events

Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment Conference is Sept. 19 The Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Health and the Environment will hold its 12th annual conference on Friday, Sept. 19th. This year’s conference will focus on healthy school buildings. >>>

Green Apple Day of Service is Sept. 27th

The Green Apple Day of Service, on Saturday, Sept. 27th, gives communities the opportunity to transform all schools into healthy, safe and productive learning environments through local service projects. Check out project ideas, pick up helpful event resources, read about last year's impact, find an event in your area, and register your 2014 Green Apple Day of Service project today.  >>>

Green Schools National Conference is March 4-7th in Virginia Beach The annual Green Schools National Conference, the only national conference bringing together experts and stakeholders to influence sustainability in K-12 schools and districts, is designed to allow attendees to learn about creative strategies for success and to take home real-life tools that can transform schools.  The deadline for early bird registration is October 31st. >>>

Resources and Grants

Facilities Clearinghouse Offers Free Technical Assistance to Schools and Districts

The Education Facilities Clearinghouse collects and disseminates resources on effective practices for the planning, design, financing, procurement, construction, improvement, operation, and maintenance of safe, healthy, and high-performing schools.  Free technical assistance for schools and districts is available by contacting askefc@gwu.edu or 1-800-EFC-0938. >>> 

EPA Offers Guidance in Keeping Bugs Out While Reducing Pesticides in Schools The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released best practices guidance and is hosting webinars to show schools how to reduce pesticide use, save money and protect children’s health. The guidance will help school districts take a proactive approach to pest control including offering models for policies, procedures, program oversight, and plans for implementation. >>>

The Coalition for Healthier Schools Updates Back to School Toolkit

As the nation’s 55 million children and 7 million employees return to over 130,000 schools, the national Coalition for Healthier Schools urges schools and communities to ensure that school facilities are healthy places for all children. The updated toolkit provides guidance on healthy purchasing, using green cleaners, safer pest control, custodial closets, foundation plantings, and other features to look for at school. Read and share the Toolkit. >>>

Department of Housing and Urban Development Supports Natural Disaster Preparedness The National Disaster Resilience Competition will provide nearly $1 billion to communities struck by natural disasters in recent years.  This competition will create replicable models of modern disaster recovery that apply risk analysis to address recovery and resilience needs.  The competition will also help communities create and implement disaster recovery plans that will better prepare them for future extreme weather events. Details for the competition are here. >>>

Findings

NEEF Decennial Survey Provides Insight to Our Nation’s Environmental Literacy The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) conducted a study to measure the U.S. population’s environmental attitudes, behaviors and information consumption to assist NEEF and its partners to achieve this vision: By 2022, 300 million Americans actively use environmental knowledge to ensure the well-being of the earth and its people. Read more about what the study found. >>>

Contests

Earth Science Week 2014 Contests
The American Geosciences Institute is sponsoring a series of contests to celebrate Earth Science Week from Oct. 12-18, 2014.  The entry deadline for all three contests is Oct. 17, 2014. Visit the contest website for full details.

Photography Contest -- All Ages
Earth science is the study of the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. These earth systems are continually affecting and influencing one another. This contest challenges youth to capture photographic evidence of the connections of earth systems in their community. >>>

Visual Arts Contest -- Grades K-5
Earth scientists study land, water, air and living things. These scientists pay attention to the ways these "connected systems" affect each other. This contest challenges youth to show in artwork how land, water, air and living things are connected in the world around them. >>>

Essay Contest -- Grades 6-9
Our planet's land, water, air, and living things each affect and are affected by one another. This contest challenges students to write about one way that geoscientists’ study of Earth's connected systems is helping to improve the world. >>>

Happy end-of-summer from the ED Green Team!

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