Embarking on its second Sustainability Day on Wednesday, March 13, the Green Scholars program traveled into Boston via train to spend the day at the Museum of Science. 

  The trip aimed to increase environmental literacy by viewing several exhibits regarding energy efficient technologies and climate change. Additionally, they attended special movie showings in the Mugar Omni Theatre and Planetarium. 

  “The trip complemented and reinforced our Green Scholars program while also providing an ideal way to encourage students to have fun while learning,” Green Team director Eric Magers said. 

  To begin the day, the Scholars visited the “Catching the Wind” exhibit, where they learned about the technology of wind turbines and heard stories about local wind turbine projects throughout Massachusetts. 

  Next, the students attended a presentation on current energy issues and what pathways humans can take to provide solutions. According to junior Anna Heffernan, the presenter explained how nano-technology can be used to make current energy technologies, such as solar panels, even more efficient. 

  “It was reassuring to find out that scientists are working on things like photo-voltaic paint, which could be used in households across the world,” Heffernan stated. 

  According to multiple Green Scholars, the favorite event of the day was a special movie viewing of “The Last Reef” in the Mugar Omni Theatre, which has a screen wider than one’s peripheral vision can span. 

   “It was unlike any other movie I’ve seen before,” junior Jake Tyler said. “The theatre made it easy for the movie to get its point across: our connection with ocean’s complex, parallel worlds.” 

  “I felt like I was right there swimming with the jellyfish,” Heffernan said. “It was an amazing experience.” 

  To cap off the day, the Green Scholars went to a few more environmental exhibits, learning about climate change and the natural habitats scattered throughout New England. 

  “Once again, I had a lot of fun on this Sustainability Day,” Tyler said. “I can’t wait for the next one!”  

SECOND ANNUAL U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GREEN RIBBON SCHOOLS ANNOUNCED; FIRST-EVER DISTRICT AWARDEES NAMED

Award Honors Schools and Districts for Reducing Environmental Impact and Costs; Improving Health; and Offering Environmental Education

 April 22, 2013

Chair of White House Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley and Acting Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Bob Persiacepe joined U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today to announce the second annual U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools award honorees. 

 Sixty-four schools were honored for their exemplary efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility costs, promote better health, and ensure effective environmental education, including civics and green career pathways. In addition, 14 districts were honored for the first-ever District Sustainability Award.  Duncan, Persiacepe, and Sutley made the announcement at Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School, in Washington, DC, one of the 2013 honored schools.

The schools were confirmed from a pool of candidates voluntarily nominated by 32 state education agencies.   The list of selectees includes 54 public schools and 10 private schools. The public schools include seven charter, five magnet and four career and technical schools. The schools serve various grade levels, including 40 elementary, 23 middle and 19 high schools are among them, with several schools having various K-12 configurations, from 29 states and the District of Columbia.  Over half of the 2013 honorees serve a student body more than 40 percent of which is eligible for free and reduced price lunch.  The list of all selected schools and districts, as well as their nomination packages, can be found here.  A report with highlights on the 78 honorees can be found here.

“Today’s honorees are modeling a comprehensive approach to being green,” said Secretary Duncan. “They are demonstrating ways schools can simultaneously cut costs; improve health, performance and equity; and provide an education geared toward the jobs of the future. In fact, the selected districts are saving millions of dollars as a result of their greening efforts. And the great thing is that the resources these honorees are using are available for free to all schools.”

“Preparing students for success in the 21st century economy begins in our schools. The schools and districts being honored today are modeling the best practices in reducing environmental impact and cutting costs, creating a healthier learning environment, and providing students with an education geared toward the jobs of the future,” said Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley.

“EPA is proud to join the Department of Education in recognizing our nation’s U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools for their remarkable efforts to create healthier learning spaces and educate students on the importance of environmental protection,” said EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe. “U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools are not only cutting costs thanks to energy-saving practices and use of more efficient technology, but they’re also reducing instances of pollution-related illnesses like asthma, a leading cause of student absence. The students who attend these schools are better prepared than ever to become the next generation of environmental stewards and bring about a healthier, more sustainable future.”

The Department is looking forward to a third year of award, and will be publishing updated competition criteria this summer, once again working closely with participating states, collaborating organizations and partner agencies.  State education agencies are encouraged to indicate intent to nominate schools in 2014 by August 1, 2013.

More information on the federal recognition award can be found here.  Resources for all schools to move toward the three Pillars in which the 2013 honorees are exemplary can be found here.

Alabama

• Harriette W. Gwin Elementary School

Hoover, AL

• Munford Middle School and Munford High School

Munford, AL

• Fayetteville High School

Sylacauga, AL

• Talladega County

Arkansas

• Fayetteville District 

California

• Charles Evans Hughes Middle School

Long Beach, CA

• Journey School

Aliso Viejo, CA

• Redding School of the Arts II

Redding, CA

• Prospect Sierra School

El Cerrito, CA

• Oak Park Unified School District 

Colorado

• Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School

Ft. Collins, CO

• Douglas County School District

Connecticut

• Barnard Environmental Studies Magnet School

New Haven, CT

• Environmental Sciences Magnet School at Mary Hooker

Hartford, CT

• Common Ground High School

New Haven, CT

Delaware

• St. Andrew’s School

Middletown, DE

District of Columbia

• Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School

Washington, DC

• Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School

Washington, DC

• Woodrow Wilson High School

Washington, DC

Florida

• Driftwood Middle School

Hollywood, FL

• St. Paul Lutheran School

Lakeland, FL

• School District of Palm Beach County

Georgia

• Ford Elementary School, 

Acworth, GA

• Gwinnett County Public Schools

Indiana

• Guion Creek Middle School

Indianapolis, IN

Iowa

• Starmont Community School 

Arlington IA

• Des Moines Independent Community School District

Kansas

• Bluejacket-Flint Elementary School

Shawnee, KS

Kentucky

• Cane Run Elementary School 

Louisville, KY

• Northern Elementary School

Georgetown, KY 

• Locust Trace AgriScience Farm

Lexington, KY

Maryland

• Cedar Grove Elementary School

Germantown, MD

• Summit Hall Elementary School

Gaithersburg, MD

• Montgomery County Public Schools 

Massachusetts

• Manchester Essex Regional Middle High School

Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA

• Quincy High School

Quincy, MA

• Berkshire School

Sheffield, MA

• Acton Public Schools and Acton-Boxborough Regional School District 

Minnesota

• Jeffers Pond Elementary School

Prior Lake, MN

• Heritage E-STEM Middle School

West St. Paul, MN

• School of Environmental Studies

Apple Valley, MN

• Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools

Mississippi

• Watkins Elementary School

Jackson, MS

Nebraska

• King Science and Technology Magnet Center

Omaha, NE

New Hampshire

• Phillips Exeter Academy

Exeter, NH

New Jersey

• Bedwell Elementary School

Bernardsville, NJ

• Summerfield Elementary School

Neptune, NJ

New York

• Crompond School

Yorktown Heights, NY

• PS 057 Hubert H. Humphrey

Staten Island, NY

• Rye Country Day School

Rye, NY

Ohio

• Kenston High School

Chagrin Falls, OH

Pennsylvania

• Albert M. Greenfield Elementary School

Philadelphia, PA

• Broughal Community Middle School

Bethlehem, PA

• Nazareth Area Middle School

Nazareth, PA

• Westtown School

West Chester, PA

• Lower Merion School District

Rhode Island

• The Compass School

Kingston, RI

• Providence Career and Technical Academy

Providence, RI

Tennessee

• Ivy Academy

Soddy-Daisy, TN

• Lipscomb Academy Elementary School

Nashville, TN

Vermont

• Reading Elementary School

Reading, VT

• St. Albans City School

St. Albans, VT

• Shelburne Community School

Shelburne, VT

Virginia

• Stony Point Elementary School

Keswick, VA

• Magna Vista High School

Ridgeway, VA

Washington

• Glacier Park Elementary School     

Maple Valley, WA

• Sacajawea Elementary School

Vancouver, WA

• Tahoma Senior High School

Covington, WA

• The Evergreen School

Shoreline, WA

• Kent School District

West Virginia

• Hometown Elementary School

Red House, WV

• Petersburg Elementary School

Petersburg, WV

• Marshall County Schools

Wisconsin

• Summit Environmental School

La Crosse, WI

• Westlawn Elementary School

Cedarburg, WI

• Jefferson Elementary-Fox River Academy

Appleton, WI

• Racine Montessori School

Racine, WI

• School District of Fort Atkinson

  After a long application process, the school has been nominated as the one public school from Massachusetts to be sent to the Federal Department of Education to be reviewed for the Green Ribbon Schools award.

  The U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools recognition award honors schools that are exemplary in reducing environmental impact and costs, improving the health and wellness of students and staff, and providing effective environmental and sustainability education, according to Green Team Director Eric Magers.

  Before reaching this point, two Green Scholars, along with the aid of several teachers, compiled a 23-page application for the award portraying why the school deserves the recognition.

  According to junior Brittany Smith, the application process consisted of answering questions regarding the school’s green aspects and Green Team program.

  “I’m so happy we got selected for the federal level selection,” Smith said. “It made the 12-week application process worth it.”

  The Green Team has been able to achieve numerous successes by giving students real world experiences in the Scholars program. Receiving this award increases the district-wide recognition of the program, according to Magers.

  Additionally, agencies such as Green Schools, Alliance for Climate Education, Green Education Foundation, Mass DEP and Mass Recycle have informally recognized the school as the greenest in the state.

  “There is no formal recognition, but if there were one, we would have it,” Magers said.

  The award poses many indirect benefits for the program as well.

  “Perhaps the greatest benefit from this award will be that we may be able to increase the amount of grant money we receive in the future as foundations will recognize our school’s commitment to sustainability,” said Green Team president, senior Kevin Cellucci.

  “It is incredible to finally be recognized for all of our hard work and it really makes me feel as though I am making a difference in my community,” Cellucci said. “Hopefully after I leave Manchester next year, our school will continue to lead the country in environmental stewardship.”

The Manchester Essex Regional High school’s Green Team hosted the movie “Bag It” after school this past week. The film is to support the no plastic rule in Manchester. This law will ban the use of plastic bags and help save the environment.

  If you have a fireplace, one way to stay warm without turning up the heat is to have a fire every once in a while. A fire most likely won’t heat the entire house, but if the fireplace is in a central room, the heat can be lowered for a bit while everyone is near the fire.

  On a related note, a wood stove can also be helpful in decreasing heating costs. They serve a similar purpose to fireplaces but often can be even more effective at spreading heat. Wood stoves can heat at least one or two rooms while the heat is turned off.

  One method of conserving energy that is often overlooked is lowering the heat during the night. Many keep their thermostats extremely high during the night to make sleeping more comfortable; however, with a sufficient blanket supply and a comforter efficient in maintaining heat, sleeping should be just as comfortable if the thermostat is turned down a few degrees.

  Aside from excessively heating your house, other common winter actions can be needlessly harmful toward the environment as well, such as starting the car too early for it to warm up. Though getting into an already warm car feels a lot nicer than a freezing cold one, starting the car 20 minutes before you leave is unnecessary and wasteful. Ten minutes, in most cars, is more than enough time for the engine to warm up.