Ideas sprout at ‘green’ schools
September 2, 2010
By Tim Pfarr
Students infuse their lives with environmental perspective
For many students heading back to school this year, green is the new black.
From the clothes and appliances they buy to the way they conserve energy and recycle waste, green students are infusing their lives with an environmental perspective.
Maywood Middle School Principal Jason Morse (right) accepts an award on behalf of the school from King County Executive Dow Constantine for reaching level-one certification in the King County Green Schools Program. Contributed
But even students with the greenest of intentions need guidance, and many got it from King County’s Green Schools Program. Liberty High School, Maywood Middle School and Newcastle Elementary School each participated in the program.
The Renton School District does not participate in the program, but is revising its energy policy, which will address sustainability, Renton School District Resource Conservation & Safety Manager Jonathan Stine said. Some schools in the district also have composting programs.
King County Green Schools began as a pilot program in 2002 and opened to K-12 public and private schools in 2003, Project Manager Dale Alekel said.
“Interest in the program has grown tremendously over the past few years,” Alekel said. “I think that students and adults are becoming more and more aware of how we are impacting our environment and becoming more knowledgeable about how the steps they take and the changes they make in their everyday lives can make a positive impact and make a real difference.”
Students can be the eyes and ears of the school, reporting leaky faucets, turning off lights and computers after school and educating their classmates about recycling.
Maywood Middle School, which participated in the program during the 2006-2007 and 2009-2010 school years, achieved its level-one certification — the first level of certification — in December 2009.
Maywood increased its recycling rate from 24 percent to 62 percent and began collecting food scraps in its lunchroom. By doing so, it increased the amount of recycled lunchroom waste from 5 percent to 76 percent.
The increase in recycling also helped decrease the school’s garbage output, which plummeted from 2,925 to 675 gallons per week. To help with the effort, students made posters promoting conservation, and Associated Student Body students created a “Go Green” pledge that students signed to commit themselves to conservation.
Furthermore, in 2007, King County presented teacher Meggan Atkins with the Earth Hero at School award for working with leadership students to develop and promote the recycling program.
Maywood Principal Jason Morse said the program, which students took to heart, has been a great addition to the school.
“It became kid-led and kid-driven. The kids really owned it,” he said, adding that ASB students even stood by recycling containers and educated their peers as they recycled.
He said the school plans to continue with the program for years to come.
“The key is it needs to continue, and it has been becoming a part of our everyday culture, which is huge,” Morse said.
Newcastle Elementary and Liberty joined the program in the 2009-2010 school year and each received its level-one certification in April.
Newcastle Elementary increased its recycling rate from 50 percent to 60 percent, began recycling food scraps, allowed students to serve as “waste watchers” that monitor lunchroom containers, placed stickers on all recycling containers listing what can and cannot be recycled, replaced wrapped utensils with unwrapped ones and stopped using straws.
It also teamed up with TerraCycle — which makes products out of items that typically cannot be recycled — to recycle Capri Sun drink pouches and Lunchable containers.
Head custodian Dave Holbrook also helped teach students about recycling and sustainability.
Liberty also created a lunchroom recycling program and put stickers on all of its recycling containers. Its electronic newsletter system and homework drop boxes also helped reduce paper use.
In addition, students created a printer cartridge recycling fundraiser, which raised $200 that will be used to buy native plants for campus beautification, according to the Green Schools Program.
Issaquah School District Resource Conservation Manager John Macartney emphasized that the program works to educate students in addition to helping the environment.
“Level one feeds right in and provides the foundation by focusing on waste reduction and recycling,” Macartney said. “This all makes sense to kids. It’s like being involved with computers. They grab a hold of it and it’s easy for them.”
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