2012-2013 - Florida Green School Network

2012-2013
Florida Green School Awards:
Celebrating and Recognizing Environmental
Excellence in Florida’s Schools and Districts
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Hyatt Regency Orlando
6:30-9:00 p.m.
ABOUT THE AWARDS
In 2009, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Florida Department of Education (DOE)
and a host of community partners within the business and environmental community started recognizing the
efforts of students, teachers, classrooms, schools and school district administrators who are creating healthy,
efficient and productive learning environments that enhance education and model cost -saving practices and
design. This partnership between the DEP, DOE, DOH, and Sustainable Florida recognizes outstanding efforts that
demonstrate success in programs that enhance the quality of education while preserving the environment.
Eligible projects are categorized in a wide range of themes:
1) Recycling,
2) Green learning environments - healthy, efficient and environmentally friendly indoor and outdoor
facilities,
3) Exemplary green curriculum or teacher professional development programs,
4) Green service learning projects, and
5) Green policies or partnerships.
PARTNERS & SPONSORS
Proudly Sponsored By
Partners
FL GREEN SCHOOL NETWORK
Summary of Accomplishments
The Florida Green School Network accomplishments listed below occurred in the period from
September 2012 through September 2013.
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Conducted the 2011-2012 Florida Green School Awards Ceremony for approximately 100
participants.
Established the first national Green School District Dashboard for Florida’s school districts.
The District Dashboard provides a snapshot of key indicators and generates a combined
score.
Sponsored the 3rd National Green School Conference in West Palm Beach, February 2013
(pictured).
Assisted the FL-DOE in the second year of the national Green Ribbon Schools Program and
successfully nominated two FL schools and the first FL school district, which became national
honorees. Currently assisting the FL-DOE in the third year of this program.
Registered nearly 80 Florida schools as Members Schools of the Florida Green School Network.
Established an interagency Memorandum of Understanding between the FGSN partners: FLDEP, FL-DOE, FL-DOH, and Sustainable Florida.
Applied for the 2014 Davis Productivity Award recognition program.
The Florida Green School Network has been nominated as a finalist under the Partnership
category for the Sustainable Florida Best Practice Awards.
Provided technical assistance, guidance and support to hundreds of inquiries from teachers,
students, and community members.
2012-2013 FL GREEN
SCHOOL AWARDS AGENDA
Welcome/Opening Ceremony (6:30-6:45)
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Master of Ceremony: Tim Center, Director, Sustainable Florida
Welcome remarks: Jesus Jara, OCPS Deputy Superintendent
Sponsor: Lisa Gaskalla, Executive Director of Florida Ag. in the Classroom
FGSN Partner Speakers—MOU (6:45-7:15)
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Jeff Prather, FL-DEP Central District Director
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Latasha Fisher, FL-DOE Lead STEM Coordinator
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Kim Barnhill, FL-DOH Chief of Staff
Dinner (7:15-8:00)
Announcements (7:45-8:50)
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Acknowledgment of Finalists
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Announcement of 12-13 FGSA State Honorees
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Presentation of the Sustainability Legacy Circle Award
Closing Remarks (8:50-9:00)
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Greg Ira, Director Office of Environmental Education, Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Event Concludes (9:00 pm)
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Awardees Pictures and Award Information
We thank our judges:
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Scott Minos, US Department of Energy - Senior Policy and Communications
Specialist
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Linda Smithe, USGBC South Florida Green Schools Chairman
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Don Whitehead, Senior Projects Architect Office of Educational Facilities (DOE)
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Penny Taylor, Director of Healthy Schools (DOE)
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Rachel Fry, Environmental Education Specialist (DEP)
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Kennedy Hanson, Environmental Education Specialist (DEP)
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Jamie Forrest, FL Asthma Coalition (DOH)
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Alexis Sailor, Outreach and Education (DEP)
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Valerie J. Amor, LEED AP BD+C, Assoc. AIA,
THANKS TO OUR JUDGES
With more than 50 nominations of outstanding efforts to teach and live green,
the 5th Florida Green School Awards called upon a number of remarkable
individuals to serve on the panel of judges. After an eligibility check by the
Department of Education, each nomination was reviewed by at least three
judges. Scores were tabulated and aggregated. The top three finalists were
identified in each category. The highest scoring project in each category was
selected as the state winner.
GREEN SCHOOL AWARDS FINALISTS
STUDENT FINALISTS
Erin Donahue, from Saint Joseph's Episcopal School, came up with the idea of using Keurig coffee cups to grow seedlings
for the SJES garden. After her K-Cup Crusade project generated a wave of enthusiasm among students, she created the
“3R Ambassador Club.” The club collected, cleaned, and packaged more than 2,400 K-cups. Over 600 K-cups were
shipped to help rebuild gardens in New York City after hurricane Sandy’s damage. Erin's project has promoted community awareness and inspiration for “sustainability through gardening.”
Kaleb Jemison, from the Academy of Environmental Science designed and executed the Salt in the Bay project in Crystal
River. His objective was to find where the current demarcation line is compared to data from the 1970’s. He collected
water quality data for three months, monitored the growing rates of barnacles (indicator species) in the bay and the
river, sampled plankton, and measured water flow. His results show that the demarcation zone has moved about two
miles further up the river. Kaleb’s study could generate future water-related science projects in this area.
The AVID Students at Stone Middle School implemented recycling efforts to assist a local elementary school. Their goals
were to reduce landfill waste, promote community service, and instill a sense of altruism in the youth at Stone Middle
School. The students added extra recycling containers on campus and were responsible for the weekly collection and
proper disposal of recycling. The students calculated the volume of each recycling canister emptied, encouraged parents
to bring recyclables from work, and collected more than 1,000 pounds of recycling materials.
CLASS FINALISTS
Ms. Petote's 5th Grade Class students were the engine that launched Ruth N. Upson Elementary School’s green-volution
reaching beyond school doors. Under the guidance of Ms. Petote, students cleaned up their campus and the city park
across the street, created a Water Conservation Essay Contest, took charge of breakfast, lunch and classroom recycling,
initiated energy and water conservation projects around the school. They were in charge of the Environmental Buddy
Reading club and created a school Green Team.
Peter Jordan’s Agriculture Class at Ocoee High School formed a student-led project to reduce landfill waste, protect water resources, and promote sustainable energy. The project focused on recycling, composting, vermicomposting, water
catchment, hydroponics, and aquaculture. The students’ efforts in composting diverted at least 2,287 pounds of food
waste from the landfill to their organic vegetable garden, while their research into aquaculture also led them to discover
duck weed’s potential as a biofuel, and they produced six gallons of biofuel by the end of the year.
Service Learning Council of Timber Creek High School’s student goals were to expand their green curriculum to encourage recycling and up-cycling, and to promote a culture of environmental sustainability. Students sponsored a life-size
board game, school-wide recycling drives, taught up-cycling to students and community members, organized a Trash-in
Fashion Show, sold up-cycled products, created 24 K-12 activities for the Orange County Public Schools Green Day Event,
collected funds to build a well in the Sudan, partnered with Global Peace Film Festival and educated nearly 1,ooo students about water scarcity in Florida and the U.S.
TEACHER FINALISTS
Deb Wagner led St. Paul's Lutheran School through becoming a Project Learning Tree Green School and a national Green
Ribbon School. Ms. Wagner has focused in recycling conservation, habitats and health. She teaches waste reduction and
recycling from kindergarten through fifth grade. This year, her students collected 11,600 pounds of recyclables. Students
also attend her vegetable, herb, fruit, flower, native plants, butterfly, and literature gardens which are used for instruction and irrigated by Rain Barrels, which save 660 gallons of water a week.
Jessica Petote set out to create a change in behavior at her new school, Ruth N. Upson Elementary, where recycling
and conservation efforts were not established. Although a new teacher, Ms. Petote organized meetings and provided
guidance to faculty and staff, and encouraged teachers to share ideas and students to start projects and create a
Green Team. By the end of the year, she had not only created a massive culture change that extended beyond the
school, but also established 12 business partnerships.
Sharon Cutler, a returning finalist initiated Lawton Chile’s recycling program in 2004. Currently the school recycles
more than 2,700 pounds a week. In addition to traditional recyclables, the school also recycles plastic wrappings and
grocery bags, cell phones, empty glue containers, electronics, corks, ink cartridges and batteries. Ms. Cutler teaches
her students about recycling through research projects and events.
SCHOOL FINALISTS
Audubon Elementary School, in its commitment to creating a greener learning environment, has extended their traditional recycling program by involving their neighboring community. Students collected thousands of plastic bottle
caps, old prescription eye glasses, and electronics, and created a Free Table where home items are exchanged freely.
Funds generated by this program are used to purchase plants and all students are responsible for the planting and
caring of the school gardens. Their new addition is a Veteran's Garden in honor of US military personnel.
Eagle’s Landing Outdoor Learning Center has established an outdoor classroom area that is used by students for a
variety of engaging activities. Courtyard gardens provide food for the culinary arts academy, while a butterfly garden
and bird-friendly habitat provide opportunities for students to care for and observe wildlife on their own school
grounds. Students and teachers take care to keep the area maintained and litter-free.
Lawton Chiles Elementary students learned to respect the Earth by conserving, recycling, and educating others in the
community. As environmental stewards, they shared information in student-created videos, posters displayed schoolwide, and infomercials on a closed circuit morning show. As a result of these efforts, Chiles ranked first place in recycling for the third year when compared to more than 150 other elementary schools. This year, the school held a “Solar
Day” to celebrate the addition of a new solar array to the campus, where all grade levels participated in educational
solar-themed activities.
DISTRICT FINALISTS
Broward County Public Schools is the fifth largest U.S. school district and has a wealth and breadth of environmental
stewardship initiatives ranging from the Superintendent’s Environmental Technical Advisory Committee, transportation, facilities, energy conservation, expansion of P3 recognition, and food and nutrition services at the district level —
to classroom recycling, 54 butterfly gardens, and 32 edible schoolyards at the school level. This year the District’s efforts generated nearly 10 million kWh in energy savings and saved more than 19 million gallons of water.
School District of Lee County’s green experience is broad and imbedded in every aspect of instruction and operations.
Their E.E. Program has been in place for 44 years. The District’s environmental education and stewardship efforts include: authentic local field experiences, a Green Bus Recycling Experience, Aquatic Systems Mosquito Education Program, a network of school gardens encouraging stewardship, Earth Week activities emphasizing personal commitment, quarterly meetings of E.E. faculty representatives from every school, recycling and energy management, and
investing nearly 2,000 hours of volunteer time in community events.
School District of Palm Beach County supports the notion that conservation and resource efficiency are everyone’s
responsibility. As such, the District launched its Green Schools Initiative, which involves all 186+ schools with the goal
to minimize the District's overall environmental impact and to create greener learning environments. The District’s
Resource Conservation Program reduced their energy consumption by 23.3% and diverted more than 800 tons of recyclables and 5,875 tons of paper products from the landfill. SDPBC is the first Florida Green Ribbon District to receive
this national recognition.
FLORIDA GREEN SCHOOL NETWORK’S
MOU
This year, all partners of the Florida Green School Network: FL-Department of Environmental Protection, the FL-Department of Education, the FL-Department of Health,
and Sustainable Florida signed a Memorandum of Understanding
committing to the support of healthier school environments in the
state of Florida.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Mr. Escobedo’s Class - TERRA School,
Driftwood Middle School - Broward,
and
Duval County Public Schools
for being a 2013
Sustainable Legacy Circle Award Honoree!
HOW DOES YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT MEASURE UP?
Visit www.floridagreenschoolnetwork.org to find out!
The FGSN, has established the first Green School District Dashboard in Florida, which provides a “snapshot” of
key indicators at the district level. The Dashboard focuses primarily on a combination of three core indicators
(energy, health, school grade) + the FGSN rating, which is based on the existence of the following: a comprehensive “green” policy, participation in the Florida Green School Awards program, and an E.E. requirement
for at least one grade in the K-12 system.
2012-2013 Green School Projects
by the Numbers*:
25,793,471
PROGRAM IMPACT
materials collected
kilowatt hours of
PROGRAM IMPACT
+ 85,576,776
pounds of recycling
electricity saved
+ 48,785,892
gallons of water saved
+
10,695
service learning hours
+
49,197
+ 30,060,662
=
people reached this year
by green school initiatives
dollars in cost savings
a healthier and more sustainable
learning environment
* These figures are based on combined data reported from all 2012-2013 FL
Green School Award Applications.
Over $66 Million
Dollars have been
saved through Florida
green school projects
since 2008
Image Credit: Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council
CONGRATULATIONS!
2013 US-ED Florida Green Ribbon Schools Award Honorees
U.S. ED Green Ribbon Schools 2013 Award Honorees from
Florida (top to bottom): Driftwood Middle School of Broward
County; St. Paul Lutheran School of Polk County; and School
District of Palm Beach County (first Green Ribbon District in
Florida).
2013 marked the second year of the U.S. Department
of Education Green Ribbon Schools Program which
recognizes comprehensive green school initiatives from
around the nation. Award recipients were honored in
Washington D.C. by the U.S. Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan. Schools and districts receiving this national recognition, exercise a comprehensive approach
to creating "green" environments through reducing environmental impact, promoting health, and ensuring a
high quality environmental and outdoor education to
prepare students with the 21st century skills and
sustainability concepts needed in the growing global
economy.
The 2014 GRS application
period is now open until
November 29th.
For more information on the program, visit:
http://www.floridagreenschoolnetwork.org/greenschool-award/green-ribbon-schools-program/