When most of us hear the phrase "going green," we tend to think of recycling, switching out light bulbs and planting butterfly gardens. Recycling bins have sprouted up next to garbage cans and more of us are purchasing items like compact fluorescent bulbs.
Schools are also getting into the act, converting manicured lawns into outdoor classrooms. Often, the work of a few concerned and motivated supporters spreads the word and helps to start new efforts. Few of us know all the ways we can improve our indoor and outdoor environments; we often don't know where to find professional advice, how to expand on what we are already doing, how to measure our efforts, or where to get donations to aid in developing ideas.
With the start of the 2007-08 school year, Kentucky became home to a comprehensive program that encompasses an amazing array of information and resources for our schools. It is called Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools Program and is under the Kentucky Environmental Education Council (KEEC) and the Kentucky Department of Education.
KEEC Agency Director Jane Eller cited an oft-quoted statistic that we spend 90% of our time indoors, and a California study of numerous cities found that the average government building wastes one-third of its energy spending. Wanting to address the trends of waste and lack of education about the issue, Ellers worked for three years developing a new program that would address those concerns as well as involve students as an integral part. It was officially launched throughout the state this past fall. So far, 36 schools have signed up, with many more on the way, including a partnership with universities around the state.
Participating schools do inventories of the school environment in nine different categories including health and safety, indoor air quality, energy, and transportation. Students work together with adults to complete the inventories, and the subject matter is tied to curriculum standards. Questions range from "What was the cost of energy related utilities for the previous school year?" to "How are fitness and wellness part of each grade's curriculum?" and "What safety measures are used for drop-off/pick-up points for vehicles?" The surveys are a very detailed first step as the school then chooses areas on which they would like to focus on improving. There is no time limit for implementing the plan of action, but schools are rewarded when groups of three categories are completed at the same time.
During the pilot phase of the 2006-07 school year, Christ the King School was a participant along with Northern Elementary (Kenton County), Murray Middle (Calloway County), and Twenhofel Middle School (Pendleton County). This year, two more local schools have joined in, Picadome Elementary and Montessori Middle School. Eller noted, "Our program is possibly the most comprehensive in the U.S. Many states have green programs similar to Kentucky, but we looked at how to build a new school like programs in California and New Jersey." Those states actually "require new schools to be built according to national green building standards."
"I really wanted a program that involves the students as the main drivers, not the adults. We just hand them clipboards and off they go!" Eller indicated speed is not the goal here, thoroughness is. "Completing the program and receiving the awards sometimes takes years. Improvement projects take time, such as one school that was spending $2,000 per month on electricity and have brought it down to $1,600." All the activities are aligned with the core content curriculum standards so the program helps teachers. Green and Healthy Schools teaches "kids the message that they are responsible for protecting the environment."
Kathy Cleary, a special education facilitator who has been at Picadome for six years said, "We had a meeting last November with the group that's heading it up. We're doing recycling with Bluegrass PRIDE and the urban county government. And, with the help of a science teacher, we are doing a program to switch light bulbs to compact fluorescents at home and school." They are also building a butterfly garden on school property.
The principal of one Green and Healthy Schools Pilot participant, Karen Thomas of Christ the King, said their "program is a very successful collaboration between students, parents, and teachers." The school has an enrollment of 455 children and 51 faculty and staff. With the help of Wastebusters (a collaboration of Bluegrass PRIDE and the LFUCG) the school reduced their dumpster loads from three to one per month. The waste from their cafeteria is now being composted for the outdoor classroom, with plants provided by the Salato Wildlife Center's Native Plant Program, part of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The school got a grant to change out all their light bulbs to the efficient compact fluorescents.
Thomas said that teamwork has made a big difference-the church is participating in the program alongside the school. The church facilities manager works alongside the school to implement programs. As an example, the church has stopped using non-recyclable Styrofoam at coffee and donut times. The students set up an information booth outside church for parishioners to learn about the benefits of compact fluorescents. Awareness has increased for everyone: students pledge to change light bulbs at home too, so they learn to apply the concepts in all arenas of their lives. "We bring the activities into our science curriculum, applying what they learn to the real world," she said.
"I grew up on a farm and while watching the students outdoors I realized that many of them had never held a pitchfork or hoe." This experience enables the kids to "get down in the dirt and plant things." And as for Thomas' goals for the future, "We have one star now, we want to get all four," achieving the highest honor in the program.
At Montessori Middle, science teacher Rebecca Self was passionate from the start. "As soon as I heard about the Green and Healthy Schools Program, I signed us up. The program is very helpful. I knew some of what was out there but had no idea how much they had to offer." She particularly noted the dumpster dive with Bluegrass PRIDE, which "really helped us improve our recycling efforts." They also assessed the cleaning supplies used at the school and worked to switch to green alternatives. "It's good to see a program on a statewide level. It increases our knowledge and resources and brings everyone under one umbrella. Many schools start their efforts in a patchwork way at the grass roots level. I'm a native of Kentucky and grew up in Lexington and I really want to see more schools participate. Then it will spark even more schools." The Green and Healthy Schools Program has "helped us to gain business and other partners in the community with both physical help and expertise."
Her favorite of all the things done with the school is "our experiences at the land." The school has property on Stone Road. For two to three days per week in the fall and spring, the students learn in their outdoor environment. They do many activities, including field and stream studies, participating in Kentucky River Watershed Watch. "It's remarkable to see their growth as they deal with weather and the problems that come up. The kids come alive and they don't even know they're learning. This is why I went into science-because it is practical and applies to everything."
The school also has a 'city study' part of its curriculum, where students learn how a city functions. They shadow at various businesses they are interested in such as Social Services, Bluegrass Pride, The Nest, the Salvation Army, the police department, city council, and many others. With their new knowledge, some students "have done energy audits for the organizations, helping them to choose conservation measures and energy saving devices."
Local activist Jim Embry became chair of the Food Team for Bluegrass Partnership for a Green Community last spring. He has been working on gathering local people together to work toward goals of sustainability since returning to Kentucky from Detroit a few years ago. Working with many organizations in the area, the group hosted a Green and Healthy Schools Summit at Crestwood Christian Church at the end of February. The goal was to "link everyone up: local architects, 4H, Bluegrass Pride, etc. to get the word out. Many schools don't know about the program yet. We are aiding the agency by promoting it and generating awareness."
Kentucky now boasts its first schools built to national LEED green standards: Twenhofel Middle School and Caywood Elementary in the Kenton County School District in Northern Kentucky. Using daylight to the greatest advantage to cut light costs, having an ongoing energy use assessment for students to analyze and learn from, and recycling rainwater and other gray water are just a few of the technologies used in the design of the schools. As Lexington's population continues to increase, we can all learn from these resources and work to help keep the Bluegrass beautiful and sustainable.
Eller encourages participation on many levels, "Kids love counting how many times the toilet gets flushed at home. Anyone, homeowners and businesses alike, can go to our inventories and find ways to improve their homes and business."