2009 - Environmental Charter Schools

Transcription

7/21/13
Environmental Charter High School - January 2009 Update
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EXECUTIVES MESSAGE
January 2009
Executive Message
Welcome to a fantastic new year! We at ECHS are
energized about the many projects and student
activities ahead of us in 2009. January is a month full of
accomplishments for ECHS that are key to the future of
our school:
Top Story
ECHS Green
I'm excited to report that we submitted our
Ambassadors
charter petition for Environmental Charter Middle
Staff Spotlight
School to Los Angeles Unified School District
Inspired Students
(LAUSD). We hope to have an approved Charter this fall, and we are
Other News
looking for a site in the city of Gardena. Many thanks to Rachel Ruffalo,
Partners
Kami Colter, Alison Diaz, Sara Laimon, and our ECHS board members
Events
for their help putting this five-inch binder together.
Our strategic business plan calls for building eight schools over the next
ten years.
Over the Holidays we also completed a $250,000 charter school start-up
grant from the Walton Family Foundation.
Environmental
Charter High School
(ECHS)
ECHS is an award-winning
public charter high school
with a unique experiential
learning design for college
prep. ECHS serves Lawndale,
California and surrounding
communities in Los Angeles.
We provide a rigorous
college-preparatory
curriculum combined with
unique real-world field-study
experiences so students
graduate with the knowledge,
values, and skills to become
life-long learners and quality
stewards of their
communities.
As we start the new year, I also want to remind you why ECHS exists. ECHS is
a team of very passionate people behind three key causes: we empower youth
to go to college, transform them into environmentally conscious citizens, and
help them become leaders and change agents who enact positive changes in
their community. Our presence in Lawndale allows a generation of youth to
realize their inner potential which might otherwise go untapped.
ECHS was recently recognized as one of the best high schools by U.S. News &
World Report, as noted below. This is an extraordinary achievement for ECHS
and it highlights the awesome work that our teachers, administrators and
students have done and continue to do. It is an honor to be associated with
such a passionate group of professionals dedicated to enhancing the lives of
members of the Lawndale community.
Kennedy Hilario is the Executive Director of Environmental Charter High School.
TOP STORY
U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT RANKS ENVIRONMENTAL CHARTER HIGH
SCHOOL AMONG NATION'S BEST
ECHS in top 3% of Public High Schools Nationwide
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Our Unique Approach
We inspire our students to
learn about environmental
issues facing our planet, how
to become effective agents for
change, how to implement
local solutions to help
address world issues, and
how to educate others about
these issues.
U.S. News & World
Report named ECHS
among the top-most
tier of America’s best
public high schools
recently.
The news
organization analyzed academic and enrolment data from
21,069 public high schools in 48 states to find the very best across the country.
School ranking scores were adjusted by poverty-performance, disadvantaged
students performance gap, college readiness index, minority enrollment, and
disadvantaged student enrolment.
GREEN AMBASSADORS
ECHS’ Sara Laimon Wins
Educator of the Year Award at
Green Technology’s
California Schools Summit
A shining example of ECHS’ unique team of educators, Sara Laimon, Director of
our Green Ambassadors program, was recognized at an awards ceremony last
month.
Honoring Laimon for her passionate
commitment to inspiring students, and her outstanding
leadership
in
environmentally-themed
teaching,
Rosario Marin, California Secretary of the State and
Consumer Services presented Laimon with The Green
Apple award at the Green Technology’s Green
California Schools Summit and Exposition (see photo).
Photo: Rosario Marin, Secretary, State and Consumer Services
Agency of California presents Educator of the Year Award
‘Green Apple’ to Sara Laimon.
Plant a Seed Today Join Us
Learn how you can help
ECHS and its unique
programs inspire, grow, and
prepare future civic and
environmental leaders.
ECHS’ award-winning Green Ambassadors program exemplifies our servicelearning philosophy. It creates opportunities for youth to build leadership
skills and address critical environmental issues facing our planet.
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STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Gregory P. Lakey
Your investment will help
students get the skills and
knowledge they need for
college, work, and the world.
You will also help the
communities our students
serve.
Through our green technology
and environmental projects
you will be helping us
conserve resources for future
generations.
Contact
Job: Algebra teacher. After-school enrichment
program. 1 year at ECHS.
Educational Background: B.A. in Business
Administration with an Emphasis on Computer
Information Systems. California Teaching
Credentials: multiple subjects.
Before ECHS: 4 years of teaching experience including instruction at
Agness/Rosa Parks Elementary, and St. Albert the Great Middle School,
Los Angeles.
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our Executive Director
Kennedy Hilario
at 310-214-3400
or email:
[email protected]
Environmental Charter
High School (ECHS)
16315 Grevillea Avenue
Lawndale, CA 90260
310 214 3400
Best ECHS Experience: ““Hearing the comments from that students that I taught
in summer school. There were so many students who said that they learned a
lot this summer and said that the course was a huge help."
On ECHS: “Effectively teaching math skills is critical for getting our students into
college. That’s why I take my job to continuously improve our student’s math
scores year-over-year so seriously. It’s an extremely important part of ECHS’s
rigorous curriculum, but also near and dear to my heart.”
When Extracurricular: Lakey towers above the rest of ECHS staff – by a foot or
more. He has the unique distinction of being a former basketball pro and one
of the top ten players in Lebanon during his 2 years living there. Always eager
to serve as a positive role model for youth, Lakey logs extra hours with the afterschool enrichment program. In his spare time, he enjoys being with family,
listening to music and writing poetry.
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Ernesto Esqueda
http://www.echsonline.org
Job: AVID Teacher. (see article below).
Educational Background: B.A. History and
Chicano Studies , UCLA.
Before ECHS: Ernesto worked for two years
at the #1 Spanish-language cable television
network, Univision Networks, as well as three years in the Whittier Union
and El Monte Union High School Districts in Southern California.
Best ECHS Experience: “What’s been most rewarding to me has been
that students truly enjoy my class and say that I push them to do better. I
understand how subjects like English can be challenging when you come
from a household like some of our students, where not only are they the
first in their family to hopefully go to college, but also where English is not
their first language.”
On ECHS: "It's a great school, doing great things. The innovative, creative, and
an incredible can-do attitude at this school makes it a great place to teach.
When Extracurricular: A student of the Hispanic-American experience – from
his College history major days at UCLA where he co-founded a Hispanic
students fraternity - to his love of popular culture in television and film since his
days at Univision, where he won a Rising to the Challenge Award for his work in
cable affiliate relations – Ernesto also enjoys following sports and politics
outside of work at ECHS.
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What is AVID? Advancement Via Individial Determination
AVID is a fourth-through-twelfth-grade system to prepare students for four-year
college eligibility. It has a proven track record in bringing out the best in
students, and in closing the achievement gap. AVID stands for Advancement
Via Individual Determination.
AVID targets students who have the desire to go to college and the willingness
to work hard - but are falling short of their potential. They may be the first in their
families to attend college. Many come from low-income or minority families.
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The AVID program pulls these students out of their unchallenging courses and
puts them on the college track: acceleration instead of remediation.
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INSPIRED STUDENTS
ECHS Senior Daisy Villa Named Posse
Foundation Scholar
Awarded $100,000 scholarship for College
Sixteen-year-old Daisy Villa was named a Posse
Foundation Scholar, receiving an award at a
ceremony in December. The Gardena, CA-born
ECHS senior was selected from a list of 1300 nominees, based on academic
performance, leadership potential, and financial need. The scholarship will pay
for her 4-year enrollment in Kalamazoo Collage, Michigan.
Villa credits ECHS and her teachers such as Mandy Breuer, who nominated her
for the award. “My teachers really inspire me to do more. I come from a
background where I don’t usually hear ‘you can do this.’ ECHS teachers make
me realize I really can make changes in the world. It is not like other schools.
Because it’s small, I feel very confident in doing what I do and don’t feel the
typical high school peer pressure.”
“I think ECHS gives you a lot of opportunity that you can’t get anywhere else,”
adds Villa, who plays on ECHS’ girls softball team and thinks she’ll major in
anthropology in college.
ECHS Student A Featured Speaker at Electronic Vehicle Event
Putting her unique Environmental Charter High School
training to use outside the classroom, 16-year-old Jordan
Howard was a featured speaker on the program at Plug In
America. The largest event of its kind, Plug In America
assembled 75 'plug-in' vehicles to rally and then drive in
formation through the streets of Los Angeles. Howard said
in her speech "Automakers! please wake up and help
make the next generation petroleum free." Governments
can help with incentives, and consumers can pick
Electronic Vehicles, she said.
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OTHER NEWS – CELEBRATING SUCCESS
45% Of ECHS 2009 Graduating Class Already Admitted to College!
Early applications by our 2009 seniors class have yielded impressive college
acceptance results so far - and it's only January!
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Partnership Struck With Real Curriculum, Inc. to Create
Multimedia Lesson Modules.
To help the State of California disseminate ECHS-developed
best-practices in interdisciplinary teaching, ECHS will work
with two-time George Foster Peabody Award-winning video
producer, Dave Hendry to document our innovative best-practices and
produce multimedia supplemental learning materials for use by other schools
across the state.
The project will create a series of modules for Green Ambassadors curriculum,
on-campus Earth Days, Senior Theses, and Intersession - our multi-disciplinary
program conducted between school semesters.
Composting Workshop Sows a Heap of Good: Last month's composting
workshop let ECHS students put ideas about environmental conservation into
action. ECHS high school students in our Green Ambassadors program
taught elementary school kids and teachers about the benefits and 'how-to's of
composting organic materials.
An elementary teacher said of the event “The Green Ambassadors provided a
valuab le experience in my classroom. I was really impressed with the ab ility of
ECHS students to present to strangers and very impressed with their role as 'PR'
people."
Rain, Rain, Come Again: Water Catchment System Demo Coming to Campus:
A water catchment system demonstration will be installed on campus. We will
use it to provide an Environmental Learning Model for teachers, students,
parents, and community members to inspire them with the potential uses of
rain water.
Green Ambassador Director Sara Laimon on National
Public Radio: ECHS Teacher Sara Laimon was among the
guests on The Aware Show with Lisa Garr, a radio program
on KPFK-FM Los Angeles carried on the Pacific Radio
Network and NPR. On the program Laimon spoke about
ECHS' Green Ambassadors program.
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OUR PARTNERS – A BIG GREEN THANK YOU
We thank our corporate, professional, and community
partners for supporting ECHS. From generous financial and
in-kind assistance, to time and expertise, your support is
helping us inspire and educate like never before.
Our many sponsors and partners
Sponsors
Partners
41 Pounds
Biodiesel America
Algalita Marine Research Foundation
AQMD
Biodiesel Solutions
Biodiesel Coop
Cater Green
Bioneers
CB+
Blue Sky Meadow
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Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
Bring Your Own
Eco-Usable
Brown Bag Naturals
Essential Living Foods
Fred Leeds Properties
Chevron
Common Vision
Fruit Tree Planting Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Fundraising Green
CREEC
Get Hip Get Green
Cuningham Group
Green Lotus Events
Empowerment Works
Green Torch
FOLAR
Los Angeles Biodiesel Coop
From Lot to Spot
Marie D. Jeffrey Foundation
Generation Earth
Seven Star Events
Global Exchange
Steaz
Green Fest
Yo Naturals Vending
Heal the Bay
Tree People
Lawndale Elementary School District
Tree Musketeers
Lawndale Rotary
Los Angeles County of Education
M3
Manatt Phelps and Phillips
Manhattan Beach Rotary
Mazda
National Environmental Hispanic Council
National Hispanic Environmental Council
Parent Institute for Quality Education
Rex 3
Raytheon
Rediscover
Santa Monica Bay Keepers
State Farm
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EVENTS
ECHS Students & Teachers are also participating in these
upcoming local and national events!
2009 Date
Event
ECHS Participation
Week of 3/2
Earth Positive Water
Harvesting Community
Workshop
Students & teachers
April 24
Earth Day at ECHS
700+ elementary schools and 5
middle/high school classes will
be trained at ECHS by Green
Ambassadors
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Week of 6/8
Earth Positive Energy
Conservation
Community
Students & teachers
Back to top
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Environmental Charter High School (ECHS)
16315 Grevillea Avenue Lawndale, CA 90260
310 214 3400
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Environmental Charter High School - February 2009 Update
EXECUTIVE MESSAGE
February 2009
Executive Message
Top Story
ECHS Green
Ambassadors
Staff Spotlight
Inspired Students
Other News
Partners
Events
We are far from immune from the effects of the state and
national economies, but our mood at Environmental
Charter High School is very optimistic and hopeful.
Seven years of dedication by our teachers and
administration – and the hard work of our students - have
resulted in a string of good ECHS news:
Ever-increasing student achievement
A Ranking in the top 3% of high schools by U.S. News and World Report
ECHS’ Green Amb assador program director, Sara Laimon, named
Educator of the Year at the Green Technologies California Schools
Summit
Major new grant to build an on-campus library
Continuation of our after-school program grant
And most importantly - record numbers of our seniors achieving early
acceptance into four-year colleges and universities, and securing
university scholarships
So it is with a great deal of confidence and sense of destiny that we forge ahead
with our exciting plans to open seven new schools over the next 10 years.
Environmental
Charter High School
(ECHS)
college-preparatory
stewards of their
communities.
It is only through the support of our many community and business partnerships
that we have been able to deliver the unique educational opportunities available
at ECHS. We are incredibly grateful. We are counting on the continued help of
our partners and supporters as we grow and strive to provide even more
opportunities for student success in our targeted underserved neighborhoods.
If you are looking for good news, get “on board” with ECHS and help make it
happen.
John Quiter is on the Board of Directors of Environmental Charter High School.
TOP STORY
SOCIETY OF SATELLITE PROFESSIONAL
INTERNATIONAL (SSPI) LAUNCES WITH
ECHS
Scholarship Program To Help ECHS
Students Pay for College
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these issues.
SSPI is a non-profit industry professional organization with
over 1850 members in 40 companies around the world. It
promotes the development of satellite-related education,
career development, and the satellite communications
industry.
In announcing a partnership with ECHS to award up to $10,000 for ECHS
seniors towards college tuition, Tony Nguyen, President of SSPI of Southern
California said “We look forward to helping this innovative Los Angeles Charter
school send one or more of its graduates to college this year.”
ECHS’
Executive Director Kennedy Hilario added, “Our Southern California community
is home to leading Aerospace companies and satellite firms. We are thrilled to
work with SSPI towards the goal of helping to foster a next generation of space
technology workers.”
GREEN AMBASSADORS
Who'll Stop the Rain? ECHS
Students
Did you know that one-fifth of all Los
Angeles electricity is used solely by
the Metropolitan Water District to pump potable water for household
consumption - and nearly 40% of this water goes to lawns and driveways?
But ‘harvesting’ the rain off the roof can yield huge savings, according to Green
Ambassadors - 10th-grade students at ECHS. As part of their Inter-Session
service-learning project, students calculated that over 500,000 gallons of water
runs through storm drains to the ocean instead of watering plants. They have
set up a 'grey water' system to catch the rain and demonstrate how this can be
done at home.
ECHS’ award-winning Green Ambassadors program exemplifies our servicelearning philosophy. It creates opportunities for youth to build leadership
skills and address critical environmental issues facing our planet.
Back to top
ECHS and its unique
serve.
generations.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Amanda Breuer
Job: Student Services Director. Responsible for
student activities, counseling, support services,
and college preparation. 3 years at ECHS.
Educational Background: B.A. Public Relations
from Texas Tech University. M.A. Counseling from Loyola Marymount
University. Teaching Credentials & Certifications: P.P.S.
Before ECHS: Worked at Compton High School. Launched and ran a
mentoring program at Felton Elementary in the Lennox school district.
Before deciding to get her Master’s Degree in counseling, she worked in TV
at FOX Broadcasting.
Contact our Executive Director
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Kennedy Hilario
at 310-214-3400
or email:
[email protected]
On ECHS: Winner of the Dean’s Award for Social Justice, Breuer is a big
contributor to building ECHS’ school spirit. “I’d like to see ECHS continue to
grow its student activities and build tradition for past and future students alike,”
she says. Breuer is reminded just how real that spirit is by the frequent emails
she gets from graduates in college, who report on their academic successes
after ECHS.
When Extracurricular: A guitar-slinging Texan by adoption, and proud of it,
Breuer confesses she loves to hit the open road with “with all the windows down
and the iPod blaring.”
High School (ECHS)
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Carlos Ángeles
Lawndale, CA 90260
310 214 3400
Job: Spanish and ESL Teacher.
Educational Background: B.A in Mexican Law,
Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, México.
Spanish Teaching Credential from Instituto Ideal
Latinoamerica, Cuernavaca, Mexico.
Before ECHS: At the High School level, Hernandez
taught Spanish for over a decade, as well as Mexican
History, Labor Law, Civil Law, and Socio-economics. He has also taught
Civil Law, Legal Sociology, General Law Theory at Universidad de las
Americas, Cuernavaca, Mexico.
On ECHS: “Teaching energizes me,” says Angeles. Being around great
teachers and people who are really committed to helping our students
succeed,” is what he likes most about ECHS. But one event particularly
touched him. “Seeing my students organize a traditional Mexican Dia de
los Muertos event, I was so impressed with their maturity, knowledge,
respect and enthusiasm for each other’s cultural backgrounds,” he says.
When Extracurricular: Angeles is a movie and music buff. In addition to
enjoying soccer, and basketball in his time off, he’s also been known to pull
out the canvas, oils, easel, and paintbrushes and create beautiful works of
art.
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INSPIRED STUDENTS
ECHS Senior ECHS Senior Hits Home Run with First Sports
Scholarship for College
Awarded scholarship for College
“ECHS has taught me if I want something,to go out and get
it. Go out and be part of the change,” says college-bound
senior Tamara Vickers, whose dream came true recently
when she became the first ECHS senior to win a sports
scholarship for college. She credits her teacher Ms. Cobb
with helping to inspire her and find the scholarship to
attend Hampton University in the fall.
Vickers sacrificed many weekends to travel to softball tournaments for the past
three years – determined to win a scholarship so she could go to college. The
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Girls’ Basketball and Softball team captain, Vickers is a High Honor Roll student
and winner of ECHS’ First Student of the Month award.
ECHS’ Tracey G. Alvarez wins $10,000 scholarship through the
Children’s Defense Fund Beat the Odds® Program
Since 1990, Children's Defense Fund has honored remarkable young people
who have beaten incredible odds to succeed. Beat the Odds® programs affirm
the success of young people who are overcoming tremendous obstacles in
their lives and continuing to work hard, demonstrating academic excellence,
giving back to their communities, and personally persevering to "beat the
odds."
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So far 51% Of ECHS 2009 Graduating Class Already Admitted to College!
Early applications by our 2009 seniors class have yielded impressive college
acceptance results - and it's only February!
STUDENTS LEAD A COMMUNITY FORUM
Experiential-Learning Project Earns High Praise
The culmination of ECHS’ innovative project-based learning program called
Inter-Session, was a student-led Community Forum on civic issues held last
month on campus.
Over 100 parents and local citizens
attended the event.
Teens from all
grade levels delivered presentations,
debated, and discussed civic issues
ranging from
“The Meaning of
Progress” to “The Future of the
American Dream” in a public forum with
adults
from
the
surrounding
community.
The forum allowed ECHS high school
students to demonstrate their academic
knowledge, poise, professional presentation, critical thinking, and team working
skills - developed through participation in the program.
“You could easily see the strong value for education and learning that these
teenagers have developed.” “What maturity, composure, confidence, and
sincerity.
Comments from participants
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We thank our corporate, professional, and community partners for supporting
ECHS. From generous financial and in-kind assistance, to time and expertise,
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your support is helping us inspire and educate like never
before.
Our many sponsors and partners
Sponsors
Partners
41 Pounds
Biodiesel America
AQMD
Biodiesel Solutions
Cater Green
Biodiesel Coop
Bioneers
CB+
Blue Sky Meadow
Bring Your Own
Eco-Usable
Brown Bag Naturals
Chevron
Common Vision
Fundraising Green
CREEC
Get Hip Get Green
Cuningham Group
Green Lotus Events
Empowerment Works
Green Torch
FOLAR
From Lot to Spot
Generation Earth
Seven Star Events
Global Exchange
Steaz
Green Fest
Yo Naturals Vending
Heal the Bay
Tree People
Tree Musketeers
Lawndale Rotary
M3
Mazda
Rex 3
Raytheon
Rediscover
State Farm
Back to top
EVENTS
ECHS Students & Teachers are also participating in these
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2009 Date
Event
ECHS Participation
Week of 3/2
Earth Positive Water
Harvesting Community
Workshop
Students & teachers
March 11-13th
Students & teachers
10th Grade JoshuaTree
Outdoor Education
Trip
Challenge
April 24
Earth Day at ECHS
Week of 6/8
Conservation
Community
700+ elementary schools and
5 middle/high school classes
will be trained at ECHS by
Green Ambassadors
Students & teachers
Back to top
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310 214 3400
6/6
7/21/13
Environmental Charter High School - March 2009 Update
EXECUTIVE MESSAGE Green is Good
California’s education budget has been slashed. The
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) said it
may issue thousands of pink slips. We are very
concerned about the impact of the budget cuts on our
school.
March 2009
Executive Message
Top Story
Our team has worked incredibly hard to create a school
that is not only innovative environmentally, but also
prepares students for success at four-year colleges.
ECHS Green
Ambassadors
Staff Spotlight
Inspired Students
Other News
Partners
Events
We have been relentless in our push for student achievement. We have also
been delighted to see our Green Ambassadors program earn public recognition
as it has been installed in additional schools. And we want to reward the
teachers and administrators who have been part of raising ECHS’ profile and
making academic success a reality.
We pride ourselves on being "Green" at ECHS. But running a school takes
another kind of “Green” - legal tender. I'm very proud to say that ECHS operates
with a strong cash reserve, thanks to the excellent fiscal oversight by our senior
management. Rather than ‘pink slips’ we plan scheduled pay raises to reward
and motivate our deserving and talented staff.
Environmental
Charter High School
(ECHS)
college-preparatory
stewards of their
communities.
Given the economic situation in this country,
it is quite an accomplishment that ECHS
has been able to spend conservatively so
that we can offer job stability to our hardworking staff.
However, as we go forward with plans to
open a middle school and expand our
reach, we will increasingly rely on the
support and
resources
of outside
donations. We are actively seeking the generosity of our friends and supporters
so we keep operating "in the green." At ECHS, we are proud that Green is what
sets us apart ... and in more ways than one!
Mollie Mitchell is on ECHS’ Board of Directors. She is Founder and President of The K12
Search Group, Inc.
TOP STORY
City of Lawndale Picks ECHS for $21,000 Grant
Students will create public art, sculptures and murals facing the community
depicting California's natural history with funds from a grant coming from
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these issues.
Lawndale. The proceeds will also fund interpretive signs explaining campus
demonstrations and Green practices for visitors. The artwork, to face 163rd
Street, will use eco-friendly paints and natural materials.
GREEN AMBASSADORS
Green Spaces Building Structures Installed on Campus
As part of our efforts to exemplify Green principles, ECHS has installed two
new Green Spaces on campus. The Green Spaces will demonstrate green
building principles to the community, deliver solutions by the reDiscover
Center (a local volunteer art organization), and house a bike repair shop.
The structures were created to be a LEED
(leadership in energy and environmental
design) space. Wood used is FSC certified
lumber. The paint is the Greenest paint
available. The roof and shingles are designed
to reflect the maximum amount of sun rays so
the inside stays cool. The glass door material
allows the maximum amount of heat to be
reflected, also keeping the temperature as low as possible.
VisionBuild, Inc. generously donated the two Silver LEED-inspired Green
Spaces. Mike DiGiovannni, Chief Vision Officer of VisionBuild said, “We
are delighted to help Environmental Charter High School, an innovative,
national award-winning school, demonstrate Green principles with the help
of our Green Space technology.”
BP's (British Petroleum) Helios House pledged $1000. Helios
House is a "living laboratory" gas station that uses green, ecofriendly innovations to educate consumers.
ECHS and its unique
serve.
generations.
Contact:
ECHS’
award-winning
Green
Ambassadors program exemplifies
our service-learning philosophy. It
creates opportunities for youth to
build leadership skills and address
critical environmental issues facing
our planet.
Back to top
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Garfield Bright
Job: 9th Grade History Teacher. Freshman
Academic Advisor. One year at ECHS.
Educational Background: B.A., Political
Science, California State University at
Northridge.
Before ECHS: Education is his second career.
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Executive Director
Kennedy Hilario
Phone: 310-214-3400
[email protected]
Also a hugely talented singer, and multi-platinum entertainer, many know
Bright as a member of Shai, an R&B vocal group whose first release
skyrocketed to the top of the music charts in 1992.
Before ECHS, he founded The School of Thought, a mobile school based on
alternative pedagogy, which focused on youth from urban settings.
High School (ECHS)
Lawndale, CA 90260
310 214 3400
On ECHS: “I see ECHS becoming a model for education - through its use
of learning outside of the classroom walls and community service by
students,” says Bright. “My hope is that we will see ECHS’ brand of
education set the standard for a more progressive, environmentallyconscious paradigm,” he adds. Bright draws from his unique experiences
gained traveling the world as an entertainer to make his classes relevant to
students. One of his most rewarding ECHS experiences was when a
student said "Mr. Bright, the reason you are a great teacher is because you
actually care about us.”
When Extracurricular: “My love for reading shares importance with my
love for music and writing,” says Bright. He recently co-taught a course at
Cal State Northridge entitled The Politics of Hip Hop.
For all his
accomplishments and talents, Bright is most proud of being a Dad to “five
young men who keep me centered.”
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Brandie Odett Cobb
Job: AVID Teacher Senior Seminar and
Economics. On-site California Beginning Teacher
Support and Assessment (BTSA) coach and AVID
Coordinator.
Coach for Teaching American
History grant. Softball team coach. 5 years at
ECHS.
Educational Background: B.A., History. M.A.,
Teaching, Hampton University. California Clear
Credential.
Before ECHS: Two years experience in the Poway Unified School
District, Mt. Carmel High School, New Directions Alternative School, and
Rancho Bernardo High School teaching U.S. and World History and serving
as the African American Student Union Advisor.
On ECHS: “I would like for all students at ECHS to get accepted to fouryear colleges and Universities and go to college,” says Cobb, who also
wants to add even more challenges to the ECHS economics curriculum.
Among her absolutely most rewarding experiences at ECHS has been
seeing the progress of students she has advised, and “Sending them off to
their futures,” says Cobb. "But there are so many more great experiences,"
she says. Whether it has been helping a student overcome fear of the
water while kayaking on Catalina Island during an outdoor education
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program, or seeing the faces of seniors when they reached an 8,000 foot
mountain peak, her students keep Cobb energized.
When Extracurricular: A fan of speed, Cobb loves skiing in the winter and
riding her Jetski on Lake Havasu as a family pastime. That is why few
would guess the fun-loving and athletic Cobb’s secret hobby. “I love to
crochet and knit scarves, hats, and blankets, and also enjoy making
bracelets and painting unfinished wood pieces,” she admits with smile.
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INSPIRED STUDENTS
ECHS Student Genesis Godoy Wins
Planet Connect High School Grant
National Competition on Solutions for
Environmental Issues
Genesis Godoy, a 16-year old ECHS
student, has won a Planet Connect High
School Grant national competition for her
proposal to address an environmental challenge. Winners submitted ideas
to solve problems and raise awareness for environmental issues in their
schools and communities. Planet Connect is a program of the National
Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) launched in partnership with
The Weather Channel. It targets high school youth to increase student
engagement in environmental learning and stimulate interest in
environmental careers. Grant funding comes from the NBC Universal
Foundation.
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61% of ECHS 2009 Graduating Class Already Admitted to College!
Early applications by our 2009 seniors class have yielded impressive
college acceptance results so far!
Fruit Tree Planting with Common Vision
Organization
ECHS Students planted over 30 fruit trees in
the Lawndale community, making a fruit tree
corridor so they are surrounded by healthy food
around the school.
Common Vision, a
volunteer organization, provided the student workshop in tree planting and
care.
Let it Rain: Water Catchment Demo Awash in Success
Thanks to our partnership with Heytanksla.com, GreenAmbassadors’
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February Rain Water Harvesting Event brought over 300 community
members, raised over $500, and sold four water harvesting kits that are
being delivered to William Green and Mark Twain elementary schools.
Tinkling Away Gallons No More
Waterless Urinals on campus will now save thousands of
gallons of water each year. We are pleased to do our part to
save resources.
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We thank our corporate, professional, and community partners for
supporting ECHS. From generous financial and in-kind assistance, to time
and expertise, your support is helping us inspire and educate like never
before.
Our many sponsors and partners . . .
Sponsors
Partners
41 Pounds
Biodiesel America
Biodiesel Solutions
Cater Green
CB+
Eco-Usable
Fundraising Green
Get Hip Get Green
Green Lotus Events
AQMD
Biodiesel Coop
Bioneers
Blue Sky Meadow
Bring Your Own
Brown Bag Naturals
Chevron
Common Vision
CREEC
Cuningham Group
Empowerment Works
Green Torch
FOLAR
From Lot to Spot
Seven Star Events
Generation Earth
Global Exchange
Steaz
Green Fest
Yo Naturals Vending
Heal the Bay
Tree People
Tree Musketeers
Lawndale Rotary
Walker Talent Group
M3
Mazda
5/6
7/21/13
Rex 3
Raytheon
Rediscover
State Farm
Back to top
EVENTS
Main Event: Friday April 24th, Earth Day
Celebration at ECHS from 9-Noon
Building on last year's success, we are hosting an
Earth Day Carnival with teaching, performances and
more! Local school classes invited to register!
ECHS Students and Teachers are also participating in these
2009 Date
April 24
Week of 6/8
Event
ECHS Participation
Earth Day at ECHS
Conservation
Students & teachers
Community
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link: Unsubscribe
310 214 3400
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7/21/13
Environmental Charter High School - April 2009 Update
EXECUTIVE MESSAGE
April 2009
Executive Message
Top Story
ECHS Green
Ambassadors
Staff Spotlight
Inspired Students
Other News
Partners
Events
This is an exciting time of year at ECHS. Central to our vision is
that all ECHS students are accepted into 4-year colleges and
universities. The Class of 2009, working with teachers, staff and
families, has demonstrated a commitment to this vision and the
universities have responded. As of this date, the ECHS Class of
2009 has received 89 acceptance letters from 4-year colleges
and universities. These include UC Berkeley, UCLA, Loyola
Marymount, Penn State, Bryn Mawr, Occidental College, and campuses in the
CSU and UC systems. Congratulations to all students, teachers, families and
supporters on this achievement!
ECHS is remarkably unique in that it prepares its students with years of
authentic experiences in the environmental sciences. ECHS is also remarkably
unique in its student-centered and project-based college preparatory program a program that produces graduates experienced in effectively collaborating with
other youth and adults in a variety of organizations to deliver results. That is
why ECHS is a nationally recognized model high school.
This fall, colleges will receive from ECHS more than wide-eyed freshmen. They
will be welcoming what one teacher termed, “Do-ers in the Green Economy.”
These ECHS seniors are prepared and destined to contribute to a new era of
environmental policy and earth sustainability.
Environmental
Charter High School
(ECHS)
These and future successes are not possible without the generous support of
all our partners. Thank you! Please consider donating your time, funding and
resources so that ECHS students can continue to develop, achieve and produce
at the highest levels, solidifying their future and enhancing the greater Lawndale
community.
Stephen McCray is on ECHS’ Board of Directors.
college-preparatory
stewards of their
communities.
TOP STORY
Earth Day Celebration at ECHS A Smash Hit
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Our Unique Approach
these issues.
Over
1,000
students
from
neighboring schools visited our
campus to tour more than 50
stations being taught by all 450
ECHS students for our 2009 Earth
Day Celebration.
The event culminated in a packed
performance in our outdoor
amphitheater area. As our guests
go back to their schools and
spread the knowledge they learned about protecting our planet, the positive
impact from our event is sure to grow in our neighboring communities and
beyond.
ECHS Cuts Ribbon for New Library - You’re Invited!
It’s a ‘No-Brainer’: Libraries are essential tools for high
school education. But the nearest public library to ECHS
is small (3,500 sq. ft.), beyond a reasonable walking
distance, and simply fails to meet the needs of high
school students.
So it is a testament to ECHS’ teachers and students that
it has come this far as an award-winning model high school, despite the
disadvantage of having inadequate library resources for its students – until
now.
Now, thanks to a recently released Department of Education grant award of
$229,000, ECHS will convert an existing classroom into a full-time library.
ECHS and its unique
serve.
generations.
It will give students regular access to a relevant and current library
collection, with print, audio-visual and computer resources for curricular use
- plus access to qualified staff to maximize learning opportunities. It also
will provide physical space for student research, reading programs, study
sessions, computer-assisted training systems and literary events.
GREEN AMBASSADORS
A Green Adventure in Learning
10 students spent four days in the
Central California Coast backcountry
on a Green Adventure this month
as part of their ECHS studies. At the
450-acre Quail Springs permaculture
ranch, they learned about sustainable
farming and natural building, and how
to live more symbiotically with the
natural environment.
They also
practiced leadership, organizational
and team working skills. During the program, students directed a short
film which they will use to help educate others about sustainable living
practices.
Contact:
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Executive Director
Kennedy Hilario
Phone: 310-214-3400
[email protected]
Green Adventures is our Green Ambassaors' annual cross-cultural
international exchange and travel program.
In this program youth learn
about ecological sustainability and other cultures. They are challenged to
step out of their comfort zone and experience another culture, while
performing an ecological field research project. Upon returning home, they
formally report on the experience.
Past Green Adventures: 2007 in Brazil - students worked with
Earthwatch scientists to protect river otters; 2008 in Costa Rica students participated in rainforest and sustainability studies.
High School (ECHS)
Lawndale, CA 90260
310 214 3400
ECHS’
award-winning
Green
Ambassadors program exemplifies our
service-learning philosophy. It creates
opportunities for youth to build
leadership skills and address critical environmental issues facing our
planet.
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STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Sandra Valencia
Job: Green Ambassador Teacher. Internship
and Student Study Team Coordinator. 4 years at
ECHS.
Educational Background: B.A. in History.
California Clear Credential and National Board
Certification.
Before ECHS: Taught Spanish at Dorsey High School in Los Angeles
after a previous career in the television industry working for leading Hispanic
cable and broadcast channels CNN en Espanol and Univision.
On ECHS: "My greatest ECHS experiences have been Outdoor
Educational activities and Green Adventures with the students going to
Sequoia National Forest, Joshua Tree, and Costa Rica,” says Valencia,
who is helping to fundraise for a Green Adventures program to her native
Colombia.
“I would like to see ECHS become a model of sustainability in every way
possible,” says Valencia, adding “This means becoming a model school in
terms of energy, water and food consumption self-sufficiency.” It also
means “becoming a model school by delivering on the promise of creating
successful college-bound lifelong learners,” she says.
When Extracurricular: Valencia has been an environmental activist for
the past five years working with the Los Angeles Biodiesel Coalition. Her
volunteerism won her a Disney Environmentality Challenge award. She
recently welcomed her baby daughter into the world.
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Michael Gower
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7/21/13
Job: Art Teacher. After School Art Program.
1 year at ECHS.
Educational Background: B.A., Cal State
Dominguez Hills. Teaching Credential, Long
Beach State: Single Subject Art History.
Before ECHS: Gower’s 14 years of work in the
Torrance Unified School District includes
experience as Special Education Assistant.
Previously he worked in the maritime and fashion
industries.
On ECHS: “Seeing my students create learn and grow, is worth all my
efforts,” says Gower, “I want to turn this campus into a visually stimulating
environment that will lend itself to creativity, imagination, and inspiration,”
he adds.
Visitors to Environmental Charter High School’s campus can
see the fruits of his and his students’ labors in murals and artwork
throughout the facility. But the best is yet to come: thanks to a recent
grant award from the City of Lawndale, ECHS will be expanding its student
art program.
When Extracurricular: “I love nature,” says Gower, who can be found
hiking, running, biking, skateboarding, kayaking, exploring, and fishing,
when not teaching at ECHS.
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INSPIRED STUDENTS
ECHS Green Ambassador Featured on Nickelodeon Channel
ECHS Junior Jordan Howard has been an exemplary leader for Green
Ambassadors, changing the lives of many and encouraging them to spread
green solutions to youth around the world. As part of its Earth Day
programming, Nickelodeon, a top-rated national cable TV network for
young people, recognized Howard as one of America’s youth who is making
a difference for the environment and their communities.
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Leading The Way In More Than One Way
He lived in foster homes for 10 years of his childhood.
“Growing up with neither of my parents active in my
life at any time has been the biggest challenge that
I’ve had to overcome,” says ECHS senior Jamal
Devon Simmons.
He knows his father dropped out of high school. He
doesn’t know if his mother did. Neither his parents
nor the relatives with whom he lives today graduated from a 4-year
university.
But as an ECHS honor roll student, the 12th-grader has been admitted to
several universities and plans to attend UCLA next year. He has been
honored for his leadership of the basketball team. “ECHS gave me an early
glimpse of the college experience”, says Simmons, who is excited about
going to college, and is considering a major in religious studies.
“I’ve been fortunate to have teachers who have become like parent figures to
me,” says Simmons of his ECHS experience. “The confidence coach Orton
has shown in me - putting me in leadership positions - made me feel I had
to respond,” he says. “My time at ECHS has inspired me because it has
given me a chance to inspire others.”
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Early applications by our 2009 senior class have yielded impressive
college acceptance results so far!
Service-Learning Course Helps Revitalize Neighborhoods
Over 30 ECHS students participated in a unique high school course called
The Spaces of Blight Project, an example of how the ECHS’ curriculum
employs service learning beyond the classroom walls. The program was
implemented through a partnership with From Lot To Spot, a local non-profit
focused on economic development in blighted communities.
After finding and documenting
“Spaces of Blight” in inner city
neighborhoods, students jointly
picked
a
location
for
improvement.
During the
semester, they beautified the
location – converting it into a
“Space of Light.”
The course encourages students to take an active role in their community’s
economic development by maintaining and beautifying their own
neighborhoods.
Students are trained on tools such as GIS
mapping, and learn about governmental
processes,
urban
design,
streetscape
maintenance and landscape architecture.
As part of the course, they engage in policy
making, critical thinking, strategic community
planning and environmental justice issues.
They learn the importance of how a
neighborhood’s
appearance
affects
its
socioeconomic development.
Art With An Ecological Message
ECHS student Maria Ibarra has won an Award in the High School
Category of the Los Angeles West Basin’s Water is Life student art
contest for her strong water conservation message and original, skillfully
crafted artwork.
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before.
Sponsors
Partners
6/8
7/21/13
41 Pounds
Biodiesel America
Biodiesel Solutions
AQMD
Biodiesel Coop
Cater Green
Bioneers
CB+
Blue Sky Meadow
Bring Your Own
Eco-Usable
Brown Bag Naturals
Chevron
Common Vision
Fundraising Green
CREEC
Get Hip Get Green
Cuningham Group
Green Lotus Events
Empowerment Works
Green Torch
FOLAR
From Lot to Spot
Generation Earth
Seven Star Events
Global Exchange
Steaz
Green Fest
Yo Naturals Vending
Heal the Bay
Tree People
Tree Musketeers
Lawndale Rotary
Walker Talent Group
M3
Mazda
Rex 3
Raytheon
Rediscover
State Farm
Back to top
EVENTS
Library Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening
Come see our brand new library! Over 5,000 New Books!
Thursday April 30th, 2009, 3:30-6pm on Campus.
Kick back and let our students entertain you with their poetry, music, and
theatrical performances.
3:30-4:30 “Open Mic Afternoon”
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7/21/13
4:30-5:00 Music By Tracey and Freddy Alvarez
5:00-6:00 Shakespeare in the Park in the new ECHS outdoor
amphitheater!
2009 Date
Event
ECHS Participation
May 30th
Environmental
Festival Gardena
Week of 6/8
Conservation
Students & teachers
Community
Green Ambassadors
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link: Unsubscribe
310 214 3400
8/8
7/21/13
Environmental Charter High School - May 2009 Update
This email contains images. If you are hav ing trouble v iew ing it please click here | Forw ard to a friend
EXECUTIVE MESSAGE
May 2009
Executive Message
Top Story
ECHS Green
Ambassadors
Staff Spotlight
Inspired Students
Other News
Partners
Events
U.S. students rank near the bottom of all industrialized
countries in math and science skills. And the gap for poor
and minority students is even greater. There are many
reasons for this dismal performance, but one thing I can
say with certainty: it isn’t the kids’ fault.
For the past two years, I have had the privilege of serving
on the Board of Environmental Charter High School, a
high-performing public charter school. Through a ‘no
excuses’ culture of hard work and high expectations,
students who come from the traditional public schools
two or three grade levels behind, not only catch up but
also excel. They are prepared to succeed in college and in
society. Graduates already attend some of the finest colleges and universities
in the country. Beginning next year, admittance to a four-year college or
university will be a requirement for graduation.
ECHS’ rigorous academic curriculum is built around environmental service
learning projects. Long before it became fashionable, ECHS students were
refining their own biodiesel fuel, building boats of recycled plastic bottles and
reducing the energy and environmental footprints of their school and
communities. Through the award-winning Green Ambassadors program,
ECHS students disseminate these practices to other schools and communities.
Environmental
Charter High School
(ECHS)
college-preparatory
stewards of their
communities.
At ECHS, we are cultivating a generation of leaders prepared to meet the
challenges of our nation and planet. I encourage you to come for a student-led
tour and to become a supporter of this inspiring school.
Ken Deemer is on ECHS’ Board of Directors. He is a founding partner and Chairman of
Los Angeles Social Venture Partners.
TOP STORY
Chevron Pumps Up Environmental Charter High School
Again
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Our Unique Approach
Chevron supports K-12,
vocational, college and adult
education to help children
and adults acquire the skills
needed to compete in a
more global economy.
these issues.
Over the last eight years,
Chevron’s contributions to
ECHS have helped grow and
improve
many
of
our
programs.
Chevron’s long-standing commitment to ECHS has supported our outdoor
learning space, gardening and sustainability class, textbook purchases for
math and science, the development of our Plastics Are Forever
Environmental Science curriculum, and our capital fund.
This year, Chevron pitched in yet again, with $5,000 for our math and
science enrichment programs. Thanks to Chevron, ECHS students will have
a better program in math – an academic subject for which test scores show
our students need extra support. The donation will fund equipment and
instructional supplies, including lab materials, calculators, a laptop
computer, software, and a projector for interactive lessons and student
presentations.
ECHS’ Green Curriculum Goes Statewide
Earlier this year, the State of California tapped ECHS as a model school
for its innovative instructional model, awarding the school a grant to share or
‘disseminate’ its ‘best practices’ throughout California.
ECHS and its unique
serve.
generations.
Contact:
Now, after delivering over 20 external presentations and reviewing scores of
applications, ECHS has announced its selection of 10 California public
schools to participate in its Green Action Curriculum Project: Abraham
Lincoln High School in San Francisco; Cypress Charter High School in
Santa Cruz; SAVA High School in Sacramento; Will Rogers Middle School
in Fair Oaks; Chino Hills High School; Crosswalk High School in Hesperia;
Santa Monica, Venice and Thomas Jefferson High Schools in Los Angeles;
and Santiago High School in Corona.
The project will disseminate effective “green curriculum” practices such as
ECHS’ Green Ambassadors, an innovative program in which high school
students first become experts in specific sustainability issues and
solutions, and then go out into their community to promote and help
implement the solutions.
“When you set out to solve real world problems, the subjects that are
usually studied separately in school are all mixed together.
When
students have that kind of curriculum experience in school, they get a much
better understanding of why every subject is an essential element of a
complete education,” said Alison Diaz-Suffet, ECHS’ Instructional
Leader/Founder. In addition to the Green Ambassadors curriculum,
participant schools will receive professional development and resources that
support interdisciplinary instruction, another hallmark of ECHS’ program.
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Executive Director
Kennedy Hilario
Phone: 310-214-3400
[email protected]
GREEN AMBASSADORS
Student Speaker Series: ECHS Students Speak Out Against
Single-Use Plastic
High School (ECHS)
Lawndale, CA 90260
310 214 3400
Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour! Plastic water
bottles are just one of the ‘convenient’ single-use plastics that are used for
just minutes, only to wind up in a landfill for a lifetime.
Green Ambassadors students are partnering with the Surfrider
Foundation and Algalita Marine Research Foundation to tour L.A. and
speak about the impact of plastic on our lives and the environment. The
program, Rise Above Plastics, is part of a Student Speaker Series, a
collaboration of youth leaders from across the city and nation organized to
inspire, create, and share solutions for a healthy planet.
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization
dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans and
beaches, and has over 50,000 members and 80 chapters worldwide. The
Algalita Marine Research Foundation is dedicated to the protection of
the marine environment and its watersheds through research, education,
and restoration.
ECHS’ award-winning Green Ambassadors program exemplifies our
service-learning philosophy.
It creates opportunities for youth to
our planet.
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STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Rachel Ruffalo
Job: Consultant. Former Assistant
Principal. Former Social Studies Teacher.
8 years at ECHS.
Educational Background: B.A. History,
Stanford University; M.Ed. (Teaching and
Curriculum), Harvard University. Teaching
Credentials & Certifications: Clear Single
Subject, Social Science.
Before ECHS: Developed two charter high schools in northern California as
Director of Charter School Development for the Mexican American
Community Services Agency, Inc. Taught History, Social Science, and
Spanish at Gilroy and Hillsdale High Schools for 5 years.
On ECHS: “Seeing the first graduating class in 2005, and now seeing how
far the school has come in 8 years, has given me a huge appreciation for
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the work of the teachers, staff members, and students who have stepped up
to lead the school in continuous improvement,” says Ruffalo, who has
worked with ECHS since its founding.
She believes passionately in its mission to become a model school for
communities throughout the state and nation. “ECHS,” says Ruffalo, “is
proving that academic achievements are greater and more meaningful when
the students learn through a real-world lens with issues that are relevant to
their lives.
The ECHS model is unique in that its academic and
stewardship goals are complementary to one another,” she adds.
When School's Out: Three new babies born in the past four years keep
Rachel and her husband Robb very busy. When not pushing strollers, she
and Robb love cheering for the Stanford basketball and football teams,
camping, hiking, and playing at the beach.
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College Match Hookups by ECHS Making a Difference
Fact: In the U.S. only
3% of students at the
146 most selective
colleges come from
low-income families.
College Match is an organization that helps to change this situation. It finds
low-income high school sophomores with strong academic records and
provides each of them (on an individualized basis) with an intensive array of
services comparable to what affluent students receive at elite private schools.
These services include intensive SAT prep classes, help writing essays and
filling out college admissions and financial aid applications, and help raising
funds - so low-income students can join their more affluent peers in visiting
colleges throughout the country.
ECHS’ College Counselor Mandy Breuer spearheads the school’s involvement
with the College Match organization. Thanks to her efforts and the program, 3
seniors and 5 juniors are in the program and have collectively secured over
$100,000 in scholarships to attend college.
INSPIRED STUDENTS
Honor Roll Student Esmerelda Garcia Earns Awards
Her parents never went to college and they only speak
Spanish. Entering first grade she only spoke Spanish.
But Honor-Roll student Esmerelda Garcia is poised to
graduate ECHS this year as valedictorian, with the
highest grades in her class. She plans to attend
Dickinson College, a selective private liberal arts
college in Carlisle, PA. The College Match Program
helped her find the opportunity, and ECHS’ unique
curriculum enabled her to discover her talents beyond
the classroom walls.
Garcia won an award from the Algalita Marine Research Foundation for
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her Environmental Science research paper. “Based on samples taken from
the beach, we calculated the % of debris that comes from plastics, and
how it affected the ocean - because plastic does not biodegrade,” explains
Garcia of her report. She also won another award, the first of its kind given
to a high school student, for her History Paper about Death Valley.
Garcia was elected for a Green Ambassador community service summer
program to Costa Rica, where she researched the impact of imported fast
food, such as McDonalds, on urban diets compared to traditional rural
diets. She also studied Costa Rican organic farming methods. She then
presented her findings at a public event in L.A.
Garcia credits ECHS with pushing her to develop leadership and
communication skills. “A lot of the activities emphasize leadership,” she
says. “We have to deliver presentations every single week at school.
Green Ambassadors makes us lead and teach others. I’m a shy person
by nature, but because of all the presentations, it has helped me develop
these skills,” she says. “For example, for our senior thesis we must pick a
topic we are passionate about and then make a presentation to over 50
people and a panel, and try to persuade them to take action.”
Personally moved by a film, Invisible Children, Garcia also co-launched a
very successful local fundraising effort for poor children in Africa with AIDS.
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Walker Talent Group Gets Recruited to Help ECHS
Walker Talent Group helps transform
companies by finding and recruiting
superior leadership and other talent.
And now, it is helping to transform
our school, thanks to a generous
$5,000 grant supporting our many innovative projects, including a Seaonal
Stream running through our campus.
The stream will help transform our
patchy campus grounds into a more
beautiful, park-like place for learning.
Remakably, it will do so without
requiring a traditional irrigation and
watering system that inefficiently
consumes tons of water. Instead of
rushing into the street and storm
drains, rainwater will collect and
percolate into the ground, recharging
the local aquifer, and fostering a sustainable and thriving green belt
throughout the dry season. We’re getting Greener!
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5/7
7/21/13
before.
Sponsors
Partners
41 Pounds
Biodiesel America
AQMD
Biodiesel Solutions
Biodiesel Coop
Cater Green
Bioneers
CB+
Blue Sky Meadow
Bring Your Own
Eco-Usable
Brown Bag Naturals
Chevron
Common Vision
Fundraising Green
CREEC
Get Hip Get Green
Cuningham Group
Green Lotus Events
Empowerment Works
Green Torch
FOLAR
From Lot to Spot
Generation Earth
Seven Star Events
Global Exchange
Steaz
Green Fest
Yo Naturals Vending
Heal the Bay
Tree People
Tree Musketeers
Lawndale Rotary
Walker Talent Group
M3
Mazda
Rex 3
Raytheon
Rediscover
State Farm
Back to top
EVENTS
6/7
7/21/13
2009 Date
May 27 & 28, June 1,
5&9
Event
ECHS Participation
Rise Above Plastics
Green Ambassadors
May 30th
Environmental
Festival Gardena
Green Ambassadors
June 6th
SAT
June 13th
ACT
Go Students!
Go Students!
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link: Unsubscribe
310 214 3400
7/7
7/21/13
Environmental Charter High School - July 2009 Update
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EXECUTIVE MESSAGE
July 2009
Executive Message
Top Story
ECHS Green
Ambassadors
Staff Spotlight
Inspired Students
Other News
Partners
Events
ECHS finished the 2008-2009 school year with these
outstanding achievements:
95% of graduating seniors were accepted
into 4-year colleges or universities.
10% of graduates were accepted by UCLA.
5% of graduates were accepted into
prestigious private universities such as
Dickinson, Wesleyan, Kalamazoo, Bates and
Bryn Mawr.
Our student pass rate on the CAHSEE
(California High School Exit Exam) in English jumped 16% over last
year’s result to 95%, while our math pass rate climbed over 14% to 90%.
Our achievements are remarkable given the fact that the U.S. is the only
industrialized country in the world that produces a smaller percentage of high
school graduates today than it did a generation ago. In addition, our country
faces huge inequities in the availability of quality public education. ECHS is
working to close the gap so that all children have access to the rigorous
meaningful public education they deserve.
Environmental
Charter High School
(ECHS)
We provide a rigorous college
preparatory curriculum
combined with unique realworld field-study experiences
so students graduate with the
knowledge, values, and skills
to become life-long learners
and quality stewards of their
communities.
We can't continue our impressive results alone! We operate without the funding
and facilities available to surrounding public schools. We desperately need
your help. Whether it’s contributing finances, in-kind donations, or resources,
everything helps. I encourage you to come for a student-led tour and to become
a supporter of this unique public high school model.
Bruce D. Greenspon is current President of the Board of Directors of ECHS, and an
International Negotiations Manager at Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems.
TOP STORY
ECHS Charter Renewal Marks 8th Year of Operation
This month marks a milestone for ECHS: the renewal of its charter for
another 5 years. Charter schools are performing particularly well in areas
in California known to have struggling public schools. In LA, charter schools
have a higher median 2008 Academic Performance Index (API) at all grade
levels than traditional public schools.
Why do charters perform better? Experts point to several reasons, all of
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Our Unique Approach
these issues.
which you’ll find at ECHS:
More flexibility on curriculum, budget and staffing.
Ability to quickly make effective changes to meet student needs.
High level of accountability with mandatory 5-year renewal reviews.
Engaged teachers empowered to make important decisions to
benefit students.
Parents encouraged to work with teachers as a team to advance
their child's academic progress.
Certified Quality: Behind the Seal
As a
Certified member of the California Charter Schools
Association, ECHS adheres to quality standards for
student
academic
achievement
with
high
expectations and clear, measurable program goals
and learning objectives.
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GREEN AMBASSADORS
ECHS Student Film Wins Award at the 4th Annual Santa Monica
Teen Film Festival
ECHS and its unique
serve.
generations.
Contact:
Audiences at the Annual Santa Monica Teen Film Festival selected the film
“A Day in the Life” to receive the Audience Choice Award. Picked from
among 70 competing entries, the film was written and directed by ECHS
high school students as part of a Green Ambassadors class project, and
produced with the help of professional mentors and volunteers. The film
educates viewers on the environmental impact of household habits and
ways consumers can reduce wasteful practices. It does so in a funny,
entertaining way.
The festival is an initiative of the city of Santa Monica, the Virginia Avenue
Park Teen Center and City TV. Its purpose is to showcase the creative
talents of teen filmmakers and encourage youth in the art of filmmaking.
The festival screened dozens of films created by youth aged 12 to 18 years
from all over the country. “A Day in the Life” can be seen online here
through Youtube
ECHS’ award-winning Green Ambassadors program exemplifies our
service-learning philosophy.
our planet.
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STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Quynh Tran
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Executive Director
Alison Diaz
Phone: (310) 214-3400
Job: Manager of Operations. For the past
8 years, Tran has played an integral role
at ECHS. From supervising day-to-day
grounds operations and facilities, to
managing the school’s transition to its
new campus, he has worked tirelessly to
support ECHS through its development.
[email protected]
A former High School student of ECHS
Founder, Alison Diaz, Tran spent
countless hours helping her prepare for the
school's original Charter.
High School (ECHS)
Lawndale, CA 90260
(310) 214-3400
On ECHS: Tran takes personal pride in
recalling ECHS’ opening day in 2001 because he worked so closely with
founder Alison Diaz to make ECHS possible. “My vision for ECHS is to
see it expand to a network of multiple schools in the Los Angeles area, to
see it become a premier model school for the nation, and to see its
environmental curriculum adopted successfully at other schools,” says
Tran.
When School's Out: Children hold a special place in his heart, no doubt
influenced by Tran’s own unique experience as a child. Tran’s family spent
several years in Vietnamese refugee camps in Hong Kong and the
Philippines before coming to the U.S. when he was eight knowing scarcely
a word of English. He makes an annual trip to Mexico to give toys to poor
children, and has been a volunteer raising funds to eradicate Polio.
Moving up fast is something Tran does well. He once ran up and down Mt.
Baldy (8600 ft.) in less than 120 minutes. When not at ECHS, he is
completing a Business Management degree at Cal State Long Beach.
Dave Hendry
Job: Curriculum/Professional Development
Consultant. 3 Years.
Hendry helps ECHS with its professional
development program. He is also project
manager of the “Green Action Curriculum”
project to disseminate ECHS’ best
practices to other state schools.
Educational Background: B. S., Physics
and Mathematics
Before ECHS: Hendry is a nationally
recognized expert on achieving learner
engagement and understanding through the application of principles of
instructional design. He has served as a principal faculty member in over 100
teacher institutes nationally. Hendry also lectures widely about education
policies and teaching practices. He is President of Real Curriculum, Inc.,
Executive Director of GreenEducation.com, Director of Green Technology’s
Teacher Institutes, and co-founder and Chief Curriculum Officer at The Futures
Channel.
On ECHS: “Seeing ECHS students get very engaged in preparing for and
carrying out interdisciplinary performance tasks has been extremely rewarding,”
says Hendry. Another highlight for Hendry has been “seeing staff deeply
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committed to the planning and preparation required to make interdisciplinary
units work." Hendry wants ECHS to become “a model that shows the power of
‘best practices’ in curriculum, instruction and assessment when they are all
focused on preparing young people to have and pursue their own dreams.”
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ECHS Sponsors SAT Prep Courses at Ivy Insiders
Fact: In the U.S. only 3% of students at the 146 most selective colleges come
from low-income families.
Delivering college-ready graduates is a prime objective of ECHS, and
competitive SAT/ACT scores are key to admission to prestigious schools. But
with 71% of our students financially disadvantaged, it is not usually affordable to
attend expensive outside tutoring services like Stanley Kaplan, the Princeton
Review, and Ivy Insiders.
ECHS is helping its students compete in a number of ways. For example, this
summer ECHS will sponsor the enrollment of two students in an outside SAT
test preparation course at Ivy Insiders, a firm that helps high school students
prepare for college admission. The course teaches
skills, strategies, and tips designed to raise test
scores 250 points or more.
INSPIRED STUDENTS
Rudy Sanchez
16 year old ECHS student Rudy Sanchez grew up speaking Spanish at
home, and started English in kindergarten. Neither of his native Spanish
speaking parents attended college, but they have always supported his
education. Rudy is determined not only to attend a 4-year university, but
also to help make the world a better place.
On an ECHS outdoor educational trip
he learned about permaculture,
sustainable farming, and how a small
community lives off the land.
"That was really inspirational," says
Sanchez. He interviewed the farmers
about how their lifestyle is impacting
others and narrated a film about it for
a class project.
“ECHS gave me a new perspective on the type of person that I want to be.
Before ECHS, I thought about becoming a businessman and getting rich.
Now I want my work to contribute to others around me,” says Sanchez.
He is already headed in that direction. On top of being the student event planner for ECHS' successful Earth Day 2009 celebration, he recently was
a featured speaker at a Surfrider Foundation meeting, and presented to
hundreds of students at neighboring high schools about ways to reduce
unhealthy use of plastics.
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This summer, Sanchez will take a 5-day course on sociology and the
environment with the NHEC (National Hispanic Environmental Council), an
organization he learned about during an ECHS Career Day event. Next, he
has an internship at Paramount Studios, where he will help educate staff
about how to become more environmentally friendly. Sanchez says his
goal is "to demonstrate that the Green movement isn’t just for ‘treehuggers’. It can be applied to film, business, technology, and more."
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CELEBRATING SUCCESS
95% of ECHS 2009 Graduating Class Admitted to College!
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before.
Sponsors
Partners
41 Pounds
Biodiesel America
AQMD
Biodiesel Solutions
Biodiesel Coop
Cater Green
Bioneers
CB+
Blue Sky Meadow
Bring Your Own
Eco-Usable
Brown Bag Naturals
Chevron
Common Vision
Fundraising Green
CREEC
Get Hip Get Green
Cuningham Group
Green Lotus Events
Empowerment Works
Green Torch
FOLAR
From Lot to Spot
Generation Earth
Seven Star Events
Global Exchange
Steaz
Green Fest
Yo Naturals Vending
Heal the Bay
Tree People
Tree Musketeers
Lawndale Rotary
Walker Talent Group
M3
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Mazda
Rex 3
Raytheon
Rediscover
State Farm
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EVENTS
2009 Date
Event
ECHS Participation
August
Living Stream
Dedication
At ECHS Campus
August 10-11
GreenTech Conference
Founder and Executive
Director Alison Suffet on panel
Aug ust 12-14
Green Curriculum Best
for Educators at ECHS
Practices Conference for
Campus!
Educators at ECHS
September 8
Fall Semester begins
State-Sponsored Training
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To comment, suggest stories, or for questions about this newsletter, email us at
[email protected]
link: Unsubscribe
310 214 3400
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Environmental Charter High School - September 2009 Update
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EXECUTIVE MESSAGE
Dear Partner,
September 2009
Executive Message
Top Stories
ECHS Green
Ambassadors
Staff Spotlight
Inspired Students
Other News
Partners
Events
For eight years, Environmental Charter High School has
empowered students by providing a rigorous college-prep
curriculum that creates endless opportunities for an
otherwise underserved community.
Building on the success of our unique learning model—one that hinges upon our
community and the environment to inspire and cultivate students to take action—
we are excited to share with you the news that we are expanding to create
Environmental Charter Schools (ECS), which will extend beyond high school into
all grades, K-12!
Through our expansion, we will open the door for hundreds of children who will
benefit from a quality education and more choices in their future—an opportunity
that will ultimately transform their lives. More than 3,000 students in grades K-12
will learn about environmental issues and how to become effective agents for
change, how to implement local solutions to worldwide issues, and how to
educate and inspire others with these solutions as they prepare for the new
Green Economy.
We have committed to raising $300,000 to support the next phase in our growth,
and we are calling upon you to help us achieve this goal. Please help us make
this exciting journey possible with your financial contribution to one of our key
projects:
Environmental
Charter High School
(ECHS)
We provide a rigorous college
preparatory curriculum
combined with unique realworld field-study experiences
so students graduate with the
knowledge, values, and skills
to become life-long learners
and quality stewards of their
communities.
Expansion To Serve Lower Grade Levels: ECS is slated to open Environmental
Charter Middle School in Gardena in the Fall of 2010. Funding this project will
help us secure and develop a campus, hire and train highly-qualified
administrators and staff, equip classrooms with furniture and books, and open
the opportunity to eager middle school students.
Share our Green Curriculum: Over the past eight years, ECHS has developed an
outstanding environmentally based curriculum that takes students beyond the
classroom to engage them in meaningful action. With each program, ECHS has
seen significant improvement in student achievement, attendance, discipline, and
enrollment. This year we will help 10 schools create a successful model based
on our programs and best practices. By funding this program, you will help us
make an exponential impact on the way education is delivered.
Transform our Campus into the Ideal Learning Facility: ECHS classrooms fall
short of the standard for college-preparatory science lab work and instruction. To
address this, we plan to build a new science classroom and chemistry lab. So we
can extend science beyond the classroom, we also plan to install “Green”
rooftops, solar and wind power demonstration projects, and energy efficient
lighting – making ECHS’ campus itself an additional teaching tool.
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these issues.
Please join us in building a bright future, for ECS and for the thousands of
students and their families whose lives we are able to touch, by making a
contribution to one of our projects.
Alison Suffet-Diaz, Founder and Executive Director of Environmental Charter
Schools.
TOP STORIES
ECHS Delivers Huge Gains in 2009 Academic Performance
Index (API) Scores
Success Story Continues To Show Results
Environmental Charter High School (ECHS), announced that
its 2009 Academic Performance Index (API) scores
skyrocketed by 51 points over last year’s results to 765. API
scores are an overall metric of academic performance based
on statewide tests. ECHS’ point gains exceeded California
and Los Angeles countywide averages.
Principal Jenni Taylor attributed the performance increase to a
number of strategies implemented over the past two years in
math and science. Specifically, she noted math program changes, which include
requiring all incoming ninth-graders to take a summer math class, as well as a
new rigorous standards-based grading policy. With this policy, if students fail to
demonstrate proficiency, they must repeat the class or segment until they pass.
According to Taylor, who led the implementation of these strategies, “Key to the
success of this approach is that students realize they must become proficient in
the material, or they will not pass and will have to repeat the material on a retake
test, on Saturdays, or during the summer. Consequently, they realize that they can
not simply try to ‘pass tests and get by. They focus more on truly learning.”
ECHS and its unique
serve.
generations.
ECHS also attributed gains in its API score to improvement in its science
curriculum, in particular its award-winning Green Ambassadors class, which
became mandatory for tenth-graders starting two years ago. “With our Green
Ambassadors class, students are inspired and find meaning in the coursework,
helping to improve their academic performance” said ECHS’ Green Ambassadors
Founder and Director, Sara Laimon. Students now take three years of earth
science and biology, compared with the typical two years required elsewhere.
School Founder Alison Suffet-Diaz Returns as Executive
Director, Environmental Charter Schools
Alison Suffet-Diaz, the Founder of Environmental Charter High School (ECHS),
has been renamed as the Executive Director for Environmental Charter Schools.
Suffet-Diaz will be responsible for driving strategic development, as well as
fundraising, fiscal and capital budgeting and planning, and oversight of
administrative operations. Her appointment signals the launch of a new phase in
the organization's development that builds on the success of ECHS. The
Environmental Charter Schools (ECS) plan calls for establishing a network of
charter schools including elementary, middle, and high schools to serve underresourced communities in southern Los Angeles.
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Contact:
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Executive Director
Alison Diaz
Phone: (310) 214-3400
[email protected]
GREEN AMBASSADORS
ECHS Green Action Curriculum Conference a Smashing
Success!
Ten Schools Get State-Funded Training on “How to Go Green” at ECHS
High School (ECHS)
Lawndale, CA 90260
(310) 214-3400
ECHS produced and hosted a Green Action
Curriculum Conference for educators on
campus in August. The conference trained
teachers from across California how to “Go
Green” by implementing a model of
environmental-action-themed academic
programs developed at Environmental Charter
High School.
The State of California Board of Education
selected Environmental Charter High School
to help other public schools by sharing its
instructional modules as a successful model
for reducing achievement gaps in California's
K-12 public education system.
Programs
such
as
ECHS’
Green
Ambassadors help inspire and motivate
students and thereby improve academic
performance, particularly among challenged
population segments.
Attendee Comments
"Thank you so much for the
amazing conference!" Vanessa
Carter, Environmental Service
Learning Initiative, Lincoln High
School
"Again, many thanks for sharing
such a brilliant program!"
Teacher, Chino Hills High
School
"We are v ery excited to bring
this curriculum and associated
opportunities of the Green
Action Curriculum to our school.
Thanks for a w onderfully
enlightening tw o days" Char
Lindemulder, Chino Hills High
School
IN THE NEWS: read more about it as covered by The Daily Breeze newspaper
Click Here
ECHS’ award-winning Green Ambassadors program exemplifies our servicelearning philosophy.
our planet.
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STAFF SPOTLIGHT
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Jenni Taylor
Job: Principal
Educational Background: M.A. in Educational
Administration and Preliminary Administrative Services
Credential, Pepperdine University.
National Board Certified Teacher. Science Teaching
Credential from California State University Long Beach.
B.S. in Earth Science and B.A. in Environmental
Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz.
Experience: Previously the Assistant Principal, Ms. Taylor has been instrumental
in the school's growth since its founding. Before assuming an administrative role,
Jenni taught math and science at ECHS and creatively designed the curriculum to
provide inspiring opportunities for her students to learn outside the classroom
walls and make a difference in the local environment. Among her recent
accomplishments is instituting the transformation of ECHS' math program, which
has contributed to a major increase in the school's Academic Performance Index
(API) scores.
Before ECHS: Prior to ECHS, as an outdoor instructor, she led students on
adventure trips throughout California while teaching environmental principles. She
also coordinated the Life Lab program for an elementary school in Santa Cruz,
California.
On ECHS: "I am committed to making sure that all students have access not only
to a rigorous and supportive academic curriculum but to enriching experiences
that change student perspectives and attitudes towards learning. I am also
committed to supporting an environment where teachers and staff continue to
grow and learn with the students."
When School's Out: She is working on her Doctorate in Educational
Leadership Administration and Policy at Pepperdine University. Jenni also enjoys
traveling, outdoor recreation, and dancing.
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$300,000 FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN NOW UNDERWAY
Expansion to Serve Lower Grade Levels - Fund Drive
Help found Environmental Charter Middle School! The first phase of our plan to
build a network of environmentally focused schools serving 3,000 students in
grades K-12, will be the launch of our new middle school. Environmental Charter
Middle School (ECMS) is slated to open in Gardena in the fall of 2010.
A charter petition is now actively pending before educational authorities. Please
help us launch Environmental Charter Middle School by contributing towards startup costs for staff recruitment, student recruitment, enrollment, textbooks, and
equipment.
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Green Curriculum Expansion – Fund Drive
ECHS has created an award-winning learning model that has been recognized for
its “best practices.” Its environmental (“Green curriculum”) programs deeply
engage students, taking them beyond the classroom walls and inspiring them to
learn and give to their communities. ECHS has seen significant progress in
student achievement, attendance, discipline, and enrollment in concert with the
development of our Green Curriculum programs.
This year, we received California State funding to disseminate our best practices
to 10 schools throughout the state. As more schools learn about our programs,
the demand to share them continues to grow. Your donation can help us continue
these critical programs at ECHS, and expand their reach to other schools,
exponentially increasing their impact.
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Science Lab and Green Campus - Fund Drive
Science is critical to our future. ECHS classrooms do not yet meet the minimum
standards for college-preparatory science lab work and instruction. They were
originally designed for elementary students. Our tiny chemistry area is woefully
inadequate for lab classes. We lack sufficient sinks, electrical outlets, and lab
space.
Our goal is to expand our students’ capacity to learn science, by funding:
Science lab indoor and outdoor space, plumbing, fixtures, flooring,
furniture, equipment and textbooks
Solar and wind power demonstration projects
Windows with sun shading/reflecting systems
Energy efficient campus lighting
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You can help bring our facilities up to the standards our students deserve by
making a financial contribution.
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INSPIRED STUDENTS
Genesis Godoy
ECHS honor roll student Genesis Godoy is taking yesterday’s fashions into the
future in an astounding new way: Recycled Fashion.
Genesis organized fashion shows highlighting 20 clothing
outfits created by fifteen of her classmate from recycled
materials. She wants to educate people about the waste
that accumulates in the environment due to frequent buying
and discarding of clothing, from wasted water and energy
consumption in textile manufacturing, to wasted landfill
space.
Inspired by her Green Ambassador class, her teacher, and
her classmates, she applied for and won a competitive
grant from the National Environmental Education
Foundation for her proposal to help raise awareness about
environmental issues through recycled fashion shows. She
is now well on her way towards meeting her goal of holding
15 shows reaching 700 people.
Godoy credits ECHS with pushing her and motivating her to
pursue her dreams. “At ECHS, teachers always encourage students to have goals
in life and to work as hard as possible to achieve them. It seems like the phrase ‘I
can not’ does not exist here. Everywhere you look, ECHS shows you possibilities
that you can achieve.”
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CELEBRATING SUCCESS
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We thank our corporate, professional, and community partners for supporting
ECHS. From generous financial and in-kind assistance, to time and
expertise, your support is helping us inspire and educate like never before.
Sponsors
Partners
41 Pounds
Biodiesel America
AQMD
Biodiesel Solutions
Cater Green
Biodiesel Coop
Bioneers
CB+
Eco-Usable
Blue Sky Meadow
Bring Your Own
Brown Bag Naturals
Chevron
College Match
Common Vision
Fundraising Green
Get Hip Get Green
CREEC
Green Lotus Events
Green Torch
Cuningham Group
Empowerment Works
FOLAR
Seven Star Events
Steaz
From Lot to Spot
Generation Earth
Global Exchange
Yo Naturals Vending
Green Fest
Tree People
Heal the Bay
Tree Musketeers
Walker Talent Group
Lawndale Rotary
M3
Mazda
Rex 3
Raytheon
Rediscover
State Farm
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EVENTS
This fall, we will be inviting parents and the community to our campus for a Ribbon
Cutting Ceremony to celebrate the opening of our Living Stream and
Amphitheatre. These and other campus improvements are all made possible by
the generous support of contributors and partners like you!
2009 Date
Fall
Event
Ribbon Cutting
Ceremony!
ECHS Participation
At ECHS Campus
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To comment, suggest stories, or for questions about this newsletter, email us at
[email protected]
link: Unsubscribe
Envronmental Charter High School
Lawndale, CA 90260
310 214-3400
www.echsonline.org
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Environmental Charter High School - October 2009 Update
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EXECUTIVE MESSAGE
Dear Partner,
October 2009
Over the past eight years, Environmental Charter
High School (ECHS), a public charter school in
Lawndale, CA has developed a unique curriculum
that takes students beyond the classroom to engage
them in activities meaningful to them. It inspires
students to achieve academic success and set
ambitious goals.
Executive Message
Top Story
ECHS Green
Ambassadors
Staff Spotlight
Inspired Students
Other News
Partners
Events
ECHS has seen significant improvement in student achievement, attendance,
discipline, and enrollment. Our recently reported Academic Performance Index
(API) score gains are more proof that our approach is working: they skyrocketed
past state and citywide averages.
We are humbled that the success of our approach has continued to attract
national attention. Soon we'll share the challenges and successes of our school
and the vibrant energy of our students with millions: A TV show for the PBS
Network is filming us. Another show covering ECHS is airing nationally over the
air and on DIRECTV and Dish Networks.
But our challenges loom large. Against the backdrop of huge education budget
cuts for public schools, we have nonetheless committed to raising $300,000 to
fund our growth in the next year for three key projects:
Environmental
Charter High School
(ECHS)
college-preparatory
stewards of their
communities.
Launching Environmental Charter Middle School (ECMS), slated to
open in Gardena in the fall of 2010.
Science Lab and "Green" campus facilities.
Expanding our award-winning ‘Green Curriculum'
Through our expansion and these projects, we will open the door for hundreds
of children who will benefit from a quality education and more choices in their
future-an opportunity that will ultimately transform their lives. Please join us in
building a brighter future for ECS and for the many of students and families
whose lives we will touch as we pursue this growth by making a contribution.
John Quiter is on the Board of Directors of ECHS. He is Chairman of The
Cuningham Group, an internationally recognized architecture firm.
TOP STORY
Honda Helps ECHS With Grant Award For "Green Math"
Program
ECHS received a grant from American Honda Foundation that will help the
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Our Unique Approach
these issues.
school create a Green Math Program which
aims to improve high school students' math
skills and standardized test scores by
teaching math in a new way. Using the
$54,811 grant, ECHS will design model
lesson plans and materials that integrate Green topics such as water
conservation, food production, composting, and green energy applications into
high school math lessons, from algebra to calculus.
Alison Suffet-Diaz, Executive Director of
Environmental Charter Schools said of the
award "We are extremely grateful to Honda
for their generous funding. This Green Math
Program will help teachers make math more
interesting and relevant to students by using
environmental sustainability-related
problems in math classes."
“The American Honda Foundation is proud to
support such an innovative approach to math instruction as ECHS’ Green Math
program,” said Alexandra Warnier, manager of the AHF. “This program has the
potential to not only make math learning more interesting for students, but to
also improve math achievement.”
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Upcoming TV Show Segment To Feature ECHS
ECHS will be profiled in a segment on Project Green Generation TV, a
forthcoming broadcast television show covering environmental and Green
issues. The show interviewed ECHS' Executive Director and Founder, Alison
Suffet-Diaz as well as students in ECHS' Green Ambassadors class. Students
described how their experiences at ECHS have inspired them to become more
involved in helping to foster a more sustainable environment. Click to View
online video
ECHS and its unique
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GREEN AMBASSADORS
ECHS Students Participate in Bioneers Conference
serve.
ECHS Green Ambassador students conducted daily workshops as part of
the program for youth in October at the Bioneers conference. Bioneers
brings together over 10,000 people from around the world to provide a forum
for education about solutions to environmental issues the world faces.
ECHS Green Ambassador Jordan Howard joined in a panel session
discussing how youth can leverage new media outlets and technologies to
promote their messages about environmental sustainability.
generations.
In other news, the Green Ambassadors program continues to expand and
disseminate Green Curriculum 'best practices' and 'lessons learned' to 10
other schools across the state. Feedback has been extremely positive:
"Again, many thanks for sharing such a brilliant program!" says a
participating teacher, from Chino Hills High School.
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Contact:
Executive Director
Alison Suffet-Diaz
Phone: 310-214-3400
[email protected]
ECHS’ award-winning Green
Ambassadors program exemplifies our
service-learning philosophy. It creates
opportunities for youth to build
leadership skills and address critical environmental issues facing our planet.
Back to top
High School (ECHS)
Lawndale, CA 90260
310 214 3400
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Kami Cotler photo.jpg
Kami Cotler
Job: Principal and Developer,
Environmental Charter Middle School
(ECMS), planned to open fall 2010.
Cotler holds a key role in an important new
phase in ECS’ growth – the launch and
opening of a new middle school. She is responsible for the curriculum
programming, staff and student recruitment, outreach to prospective families,
and coordinating with the school district.
Educational Background: B.A. Social Sciences, University of California at
Berkeley. California Clear Teaching Credential.
Before ECHS: Launching a new charter school is nothing new to Cotler. She
helped open and direct Ocean Charter School, a successful K-8 public
charter school in West L.A. Her educational career includes teaching
previously at ECHS, as well as in an alternative program for at-risk youth in
a high school in rural Virginia. Others may remember her from her first
career as a child actress in the cast of The Waltons, a popular 1970s
television show in which she portrayed Elizabeth Walton (see picture).
On ECHS: "Every time I see an ECHS student make a
presentation it is it a rewarding experience," says
Cotler. "I always learn something and it usually
makes me change how I behave. For example, I am
packing my children's lunches with far less plastic
than before.” She is passionate about education and
her mission. “My vision is to build upon ECHS'
success in creating a middle school that replicates
all the things that make ECHS so special," says
Cotler.
When Extracurricular: When not working on the
new middle school, Cotler keeps busy as the
proud mother of two elementary school kids. She
is a fan of modern dance and ballet, and you could say that watching
college football is more than a hobby for Kami: she once ran a tour
company specializing in trips to out-of-town USC football games.
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INSPIRED STUDENTS
Angelica Garza
Living in foster care has not been easy for ECHS senior
Angelica “Angie” Garza. She was forced to develop and
rely on an inner strength not required of most young
people her age. Maybe that’s why her energies and
talents seem to makes good things happen.
For her work with ECHS Green Ambassadors program, Garza was recently
interviewed in documentary TV show that is expected to air on PBS in early
2010. Garza credits ECHS with inspiring her to get involved in issues that
help others, whether it is mentoring younger students, or helping to start an
alliance between the school and orphanage in Haiti. “It may sound like a
cliché, but ECHS has taught me in a sense that you can do anything,” says
Garza.
The organizational skills she has developed at ECHS were in full force
during the successful ECHS Earth Day event she helped put on last spring.
Over 700 students from nearby schools as well as members of the local
community learned about environmental issues and solutions, and attended
musical and dramatic performances.
Angie takes full advantage of ECHS opportunities such as internships, and
is interning at FromLotToSpot, a local non-profit that refurbishes and
beautifies areas of urban blight.
When not studying she has been extremely active in school activities, from
managing the baseball team, to sitting on student council, to organizing a
Peace Club on campus as well as Tiger Crew, ECHS’ pep squad, to
starting the Green Ambassadors club. Angie is determined to build on the
opportunities ECHS has given her. She plans to be the first in her family to
graduate from college, where she will be heading next fall.
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before.
Sponsors
Partners
41 Pounds
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Biodiesel America
AQMD
Biodiesel Solutions
Biodiesel Coop
Cater Green
Bioneers
CB+
Blue Sky Meadow
Bring Your Own
Eco-Usable
Brown Bag Naturals
Chevron
Common Vision
Fundraising Green
CREEC
Get Hip Get Green
Cuningham Group
Green Lotus Events
Empowerment Works
Green Torch
FOLAR
From Lot to Spot
Generation Earth
Seven Star Events
Global Exchange
Steaz
Green Fest
Yo Naturals Vending
Heal the Bay
Tree People
Tree Musketeers
Lawndale Rotary
L.A. Social Venture Partners
American Honda Foundaton
Walker Talent Group
M3
Mazda
Rex 3
Raytheon
Rediscover
State Farm
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EVENTS
The Main Event! Third Annual Green Career Day at ECHS! October 26th,
11:00 a.m. - 3:40 p.m.
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Following last year’s smashing success,
we are holding another Green Career Day
so ECHS students can learn about
careers in numerous fields such as
environmental sciences. It features
classroom presentations by volunteer
professionals who as "role models" will
help teachers discuss environmental
issues and related careers.
Role models offer career insights and mentor students. Fifteen exhibits and
booths from environmental agencies (federal, state, city and county),
corporations, and presentations by elected officials add to the event’s value
for participants and students.
We greatly appreciate the gracious support of more than 40 professionals
who have volunteered to participate!
2009 Date
November 4
Event
Environmental Youth
Conference
Composting & Plastics
December 8 & 9th Workshops: Loyola
Marymount University
December 9-11th Green California Schools
Summit and Expo,
Pasadena
ECHS Participation
Green Ambassador Students
Keynote Speaker and
Panelist
Taught by ECHS Students to
College Students
Students & teachers
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Help found Environmental Charter Middle School! The first phase of our plan to
grades K-12 will be the launch of our new middle school. Environmental
Charter Middle School (ECMS) is slated to open in Gardena in the fall of 2010.
help us launch Environmental Charter Middle School by contributing towards
start-up costs for staff recruitment, student recruitment, enrollment, textbooks,
and equipment.
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ECHS has created an award-winning learning model that has been recognized
for its “best practices.” Its environmental (“Green curriculum”) programs deeply
engage students, taking them beyond the classroom walls and inspiring them
to learn and give to their communities. ECHS has seen significant progress in
student achievement, attendance, discipline, and enrollment in concert with the
the demand to share them continues to grow. Your donation can help us
continue these critical programs at ECHS, and expand their reach to other
schools, exponentially increasing their impact.
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space.
Science lab indoor and outdoor space, plumbing, fixtures, flooring,
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310 214 3400
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Environmental Charter High School - November 2009 Update
EXECUTIVE MESSAGE
Dear Friends,
November 2009
Thanksgiving is a time when we can reflect on our good
fortune to live in this country, the opportunities it provides us,
and our aspirations for future generations.
Executive Message
Top Story
ECHS Green
Ambassadors
Staff Spotlight
Inspired Students
Other News
Partners
Events
The success of our democratic process depends on the
educational opportunities available today for tomorrow’s
adult citizens. One of America's most pressing needs is to
address the disparity in educational opportunities. Times
like these present significant challenges to public education. With declining
state and federal budgets, we must do more with less.
Through our expansion projects at ECHS, we will open the
door for hundreds of children who will benefit from a quality
education and more choices in their future - an opportunity that
will ultimately transform their lives.
So I ask that you consider supporting ECHS with a financial
contribution towards one or more of these projects (learn
more). No donation is too small; every gift makes the school
better for our students.
To all of our supporters, our staff, and our students at Environmental Charter
High School I wish you a warm, fulfilling, and safe Thanksgiving holiday.
Environmental
Charter High School
(ECHS)
college-preparatory
stewards of their
communities.
Bruce D. Greenspon is President of the Board of Directors of ECHS. He is
Manager, Program Contract Negotiations at Raytheon.
TOP STORY
ECHS Students Take The Podium: From Speeches To Press
Conferences
This month ECHS students could be found at the public podium in front of
electronic media, political and business leaders delivering speeches about
environmental issues, supporting Green campaigns, and being recognized for
their contributions.
Imagine this: standing next to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at the Los Angeles
Convention Center with 6,000 teens, energized to change the way they impact
the environment, waiting to hear what you have to say. Pretty heady stuff for
anyone, and 17-year-old ECHS junior Jordan Howard (see picture) did it with
poise and power.
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Our Unique Approach
these issues.
Her keynote speech at the 2009
Environmental Youth Conference,
themed “Start Local, Impact Global”
kicked off the November 4
conference of local elected
officials, young environmental
leaders, and celebrities. The goal
was to promote environmental
awareness and responsibility
through youth-conducted
workshops and networking
opportunities with green
professionals and environmental
organizations.
Across the hall at the same conference, 16-year-old ECHS junior Rudy Sanchez
joined a panel discussing how he has raised public awareness about reducing
plastic consumption with reusable alternatives. With Rise Above Plastics, a
program of the Surfrider Foundation, he has delivered more than 35
presentations to over 1,000 people about alternatives to one-time consumable
plastics.
ECHS and its unique
serve.
Later that week as news
cameras flashed,
Sanchez joined City
Supervisor Don Knabe,
Assemblyman Zev
Yaroslavsky, NBA
Champion Luke Walton,
and ABC7 Eyewitness
News Weathercaster
Danny Romero as a
press conference
speaker (see picture).
He led city officials,
celebrities, and
attendees in reciting a public pledge to recycle and reuse plastic bags, helping
to kick off LA County’s BragAboutYourBag recycling campaign.
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New Member Tom Feegel Brings Eco-Business Savvy to ECHS
Board
generations.
ECHS recently welcomed Tom Feegel to its Board of Directors.
Feegel is CEO of Brand Neutral, an eco-consulting firm advising
business leaders on brand strategy, content creation, and revenue
growth.
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Contact:
Executive Director
Alison Suffet-Diaz
Phone: 310-214-3400
[email protected]
As Chief of Staff for Al Gore's Global Concert Event in 2007, Tom oversaw
sponsorship, and worldwide marketing. He created a popular consumer
handbook on surviving the climate crisis and championed an on-the-road
greening guide for celebrities and artists. Other organizations Tom has worked
with include Disney, NBC, Dell, Ford, Phillips, Smart Car, Pepsi, National
Geographic, Healthy Child Healthy World, Girl Scouts of the USA, Kiva.org,
National Wildlife Federation, Energy Star, and the Vatican.
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High School (ECHS)
GREEN AMBASSADORS
Lawndale, CA 90260
310 214 3400
ECHS’ award-winning Green Ambassadors
program exemplifies our service-learning
philosophy.
It creates opportunities for youth to build
leadership skills and address critical
environmental issues facing our planet.
Student Wins US Green Building Council Young Leader Award
ECHS senior and Green Ambassador student extraordinaire Jordan Howard
received the Young Leader Award from the US Green Building Council
(USGBC) at the GreenBuild International Conference in Phoenix, AZ. She
was selected for her commitment to the environment and her success in
effecting change among her peers as an active leader in the sustainability
movement. Howard credits ECHS with helping her discover these issues
and inspiring her to pursue them.
As the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building,
Greenbuild provides its USGBC Young Leaders with an opportunity to hear
from highly acclaimed speakers, attend special seminars, and educate
themselves on the green building movement. In April 2010, Howard will join
other USGBC Young Leaders and travel to Washington, DC, on an allexpense paid trip to participate in a special event at the Kennedy Center.
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STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Joseph Ehrlichmann
Job: English teacher, 11th grade
Educational Background: B.A., English, National
University
Before ECHS: Ehrlichmann taught English, including
12th grade AP Literature and Composition at South
Gate High School in the L.A. Unified School District (LAUSD). While in
LAUSD training to receive his California State Teaching Credential, he was
named Most Outstanding Intern. Before his teaching career, he earned his
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living as a professional musician, touring with SuperFunk Fantasy.
On ECHS: The value of the school’s unique curriculum became clear to
Ehrlichmann on a backpacking trip to Point Mugu State Park. He traveled with the
11th grade as part of ECHS’ Outdoor Learning program, which helps students
learn leadership, communications, and teamwork skills. “I think ECHS is a great
role model for a successful inner-city high school. It is a place where students
really feel like their work in school has an impact on the community.”
When School's Out: An accomplished musician, Joseph still plays the
trumpet, as he did in the St. Louis All-Suburban Band and the Missouri AllState Jazz Band. He also enjoys reading, road trips in the Western United
States, and soccer.
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INSPIRED STUDENTS
Donald Brooks Helps City Council
Make Lawndale Kids Breathe Cleaner
ECHS 12th-grader Donald Brooks is a
person who sees a challenge where
others would see a brick wall. He wanted
to do things that he had no idea how to
do. The only thing he was sure of was his
fear of speaking in front of others and his
desire to create change.
He realized that change would have to
start within. “I started to volunteer and reach out to others,” he explains. At
Environmental Charter High School he signed up for an internship at Barnes
& Noble. “It wasn’t because I liked it,” he says with a sly smile, “but
because I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to overcome my
shyness and improve my speaking skills.” And it was. In his junior year, he
interned for ECHS' Green Ambassadors. “I had to find and schedule events
such as a jazz festival and Hawthorne Earth Day so that I could speak at
them on behalf of ECHS,” says Brooks.
A subsequent internship program involved him in local public policy. “Our
goal was to get the City Council to approve a Tobacco Retail License (TRL)
for stronger enforcement of tobacco laws. We met with two City Council
members. Then we conducted Youth Purchase Surveys, where we went
into 38 stores in Lawndale pretending to buy cigarettes to see how many
stores would sell tobacco to minors.” Quite a feat for a self-described shy
kid, but it gets better.
On October 19, 2009, Brooks addressed the Lawndale City Council with his
findings. He made the case for passing the TRL into law, and the City
Council voted to approve it. “I felt that this was a great accomplishment, to
be a part of real change in my community,” Brooks beams. “In fact,
Councilman Miles offered me an internship in his office this summer!”
Thanks to ECHS inspiring and guiding him to overcome his fear of speaking
in front of others, Donald Brooks is now an effective force within his
community.
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ECHS Team in Solar Cup
A team from ECHS received $4,000 from the West
Basin Water District to participate in the Solar Cup,
a program where students gain hands-on
experience in engineering, natural resources
management, and water conservation issues. The
team will build a solar-powered boat and compete
in a sprint race, using solar energy stored in
batteries to power their boats in a 200-meter dash at the nation’s largest solar
boat competition.
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Northrop Grumman Grant Makes ECHS Science, Math Classes
Smarter
Smart Board technology and lab equipment are coming to ECHS Science and
Math classes, thanks to a $5,000 grant from Northrop Grumman. Students will
benefit from a SMART board for the Biology classroom, as well as other lab gear
and educational software.
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No Ordinary School: Outdoor Education Fosters Leadership
Skills
Students hike, kayak, and snorkel
day and night, while learning about
Catalina Island's ecosystem, native
species,
composting,
and
gardening. It’s just one of ECHS’
Outdoor Learning programs.
A requirement of ECHS’ unique
curriculum, the annual 9th Grade
Catalina trip takes students beyond the classroom walls, challenging and
inspiring them to learn and achieve during a 3-day trip with the Catalina
Environmental Leadership Program.
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Thanks to Partners and Volunteers, ECHS Green Career Day a
Smashing Success!
ECHS’ annual Career Day this month brought 45 guest speakers from a variety
of professional fields to the school to share career insights with our students.
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“It's always a pleasure to see kids and show them the value of
education, dreams, and accomplishing goals,” said Michael
Garcia, a guest speaker from Raytheon Space and Airborne
Systems. “Your school is very impressive and is a model to
those not only around here, but I believe for the entire nation."
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Now Accepting Applications for Environmental Charter
Middle School: Opening Fall 2010
Environmental Charter Middle School will open in Gardena with 120 sixth
graders in the fall of 2010. click to Learn More
before.
Sponsors
41 Pounds
Biodiesel America
Biodiesel Solutions
Cater Green
CB+
Eco-Usable
Fundraising Green
Get Hip Get Green
Green Lotus Events
Green Torch
Seven Star Events
Northrop Grumman
Steaz
Yo Naturals Vending
Tree People
Tree Musketeers
Walker Talent Group
Partners
AQMD
Biodiesel Coop
Bioneers
Blue Sky Meadow
Bring Your Own
Brown Bag Naturals
Chevron
Common Vision
CREEC
Cuningham Group
Empowerment Works
FOLAR
From Lot to Spot
Generation Earth
Global Exchange
Green Fest
Heal the Bay
Lawndale Rotary
American Honda Foundation
M3
Mazda
Rex 3
Raytheon
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Rediscover
State Farm
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EVENTS
SAVE THE DATE: Wednesday, December 9th 5:30 p.m.
“From Garbage to Garden”: A FREE Composting Workshop
Please join students in our Green Ambassadors program as they lead a free
public workshop on composting at ECHS. You will learn about this easy way to
reduce waste and recycle nutrients into rich soil from composting experts at this
student-created, student-produced, and student-taught event!
Also enjoy food, games, raffles, Earth Positive merchandise, and multi-media
presentations - all brought to you by ECHS students, who have completed a
composting unit where they learned about recycling, permaculture, and systems
thinking.
Also, Green Ambassadors and Rise Above Plastics have teamed up with
Loyola Marymount University, to present another workshop for LMU athletes on
Tuesday, December 8, at 5:30 pm. Contact for both events:
[email protected] or call (310) 214-3400.
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Help start Environmental Charter Middle School! The first phase of our plan to
help us by contributing towards start-up costs for staff recruitment, student
recruitment, enrollment, textbooks, and equipment.
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for its “best practices.” Its environmental (“Green Curriculum”) programs deeply
student achievement, attendance, discipline, and enrollment with the
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space.
Indoor and outdoor science lab space, plumbing, fixtures, flooring,
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link: Unsubscribe
310 214 3400
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Environmental Charter High School - December 2009 Update
EXECUTIVE MESSAGE
December 2009
Executive Message
Top Story
ECHS Green
Ambassadors
Staff Spotlight
Inspired Students
Other News
Partners
Events
This month, Michael Vandenbergh, Visiting Professor of Law at
Harvard University, was interviewed on NPR about his recent
paper, “Household Actions Can Provide a Behavioral Wedge to
Rapidly Reduce U.S. Carbon Emissions.” The findings of the
report echo many of the pillars of Environmental Charter High
School (ECHS):
Sustainability depends on behavioral changes that are personally
meaningful and accessible
Individual actions do matter and absolutely make a difference
Implementing sustainable choices leads to greater activism.
I can’t think of a community where this is played out more clearly than in the daily
studies and work of our students here at ECHS. A perfect example is the new
bicycle repair workshop. Beach Cities Cycles' owner Brian Lindquist donates
his time and materials to train students to repair and maintain bicycles. This
provides a meaningful skill for the student, a service to the community, and
delivers dividends into the future for sustainable transportation.
“When someone becomes committed to a certain behavior, they’re more likely to
follow through in other areas as well,” continued Vandenbergh. One of the things
that I am most proud of is that our work not only models how to change
individual behavior, but also lays the groundwork for sustainable education and
business well into our young people’s adult lives.
Environmental
Charter High School
(ECHS)
college-preparatory
As we come to the end of the year, please think about making a contribution in
support of our programs. Best wishes for a joyous holiday season and a Happy
New Year!
Tom Feegel is on the Board of Directors of ECHS. He is the founder and principal
of Brand Neutral, a leading sustainable m arketing firm .
YOU'RE INVITED: TO OUR STUDENT-LED COMMUNITY
FORUM!
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stewards of their
communities.
Our Unique Approach
these issues.
Addressing these critical civic Issues and more:
How can community resources improve
our quality of life?
What is Progress?
What is the past, present and future of the
American Dream in Los Angeles?
You’ll learn from engaging presentations and
debates by ECHS’ students. It’s all part of ECHS’
innovative curriculum program called Intersession .
Mark Your Calendar! Friday, February 5th, 2010 at ECHS
Community Forum 8:15 a.m. -12:15 p.m.
Pot Luck Celebration 12:35 p.m. -1:25 p.m.
Call our front office 310 214-3400 for more information.
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ECHS Intersession Breaks Down Barriers Between Academic
Disciplines During Break in Classes
What if as a high school student, by working with your classmates in a team, you
had to try and change a city ordinance, or educate your local community about a
critical civic or global issue and move them to action? You'd have to pull
together a variety of skills, content, and knowledge - more than what you could
pick up in a single class. That's the idea behind Intersession, ECHS’
interdisciplinary project-based program that kicks off in early January.
ECHS and its unique
A requirement of ECHS’ unique
curriculum, Intersession culminates in
a student-led Community Forum held
on campus each February. Each grade
level
delivers
presentations
and
discusses the issues in a public forum
with adults from the surrounding
community.
“Students study the issues from a
variety of disciplines – from math to science to history – so the breadth of their
analysis is exponentially that much more powerful,” explains Alison Suffet-Diaz,
ECHS Executive Director. As part of the course, they engage in field research,
policy -making, critical thinking, strategic community planning, and
environmental justice issues. Thanks to a grant from American Honda, this
year’s program will include a 3-day unit of “Green Math” lessons.
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serve.
GREEN AMBASSADORS
Compost Workshop Sows Seeds of Educational Partnerships
ECHS’ Green Ambassador Students Teach Composting Class
to Loyola Marymount University Athletes
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generations.
Contact:
Executive Director
Alison Suffet-Diaz
Phone: 310-214-3400
[email protected]
High School (ECHS)
Lawndale, CA 90260
310 214 3400
The ECHS students had knowledge and experience with composting, thanks to
the Green Ambassador class, a requirement for all 10th-grade students. The
LMU students had knowledge and experience in college. Put them together, and
like sun on rain-soaked soil, sprouts of cooperation came fast. No surprise:
ECHS is known for its win-win partnerships with non-profits and businesses.
Members of various sports teams at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) visited
ECHS to learn about the benefits of composting and recycling. ECHS students,
gave a guided tour of their Green-learning campus, then gave video
presentations on the benefits of recycling and composting. The ECHS students
also sold organic food and eco-friendly products to raise money to buy a
composting bin for a nearby high school.
The LMU student athletes want
to spearhead an on-campus
recycling program and came to
ECHS to learn from the Green
Ambassadors about ways to
implement it. At the same time,
the LMU students hope to
become mentors to the ECHS
teens, encouraging them to
attend colleges like LMU after
high school graduation. At the end of the day, all the students were excited to
have started to create the bond between LMU Athletics and ECHS Green
Ambassadors.
ECHS’ award-winning Green Ambassadors
program exemplifies our service-learning
philosophy. It creates opportunities for youth
to build leadership skills and address critical
environmental issues facing our planet.
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STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Ariel Levi Simons
Job: Physics and AP Environmental Science
teacher
Educational Background: B.S., Physics, Illinois
Institute of Technology. M.A.T., University of California
at Irvine.
Before ECHS: Simons taught English in Seoul,
Korea, for a year, but most of his experience has been teaching physics and
math in the United States. Before beginning his career in teaching, he was a
researcher at the world famous Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois. He’s also lived in
three countries in 23 different locations, and walked across the entire city of
Chicago.
On ECHS: The most exciting thing for him so far has been getting students to
understand how you can measure so much with so little. “We measured how
fast our nerves fire by using just a ruler, and measured the mass of the earth
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with a pendulum and a stopwatch,” Simons explained. “I’m looking to start an
astronomy program on campus, and hope to bring ECHS students into the
outside world of research.”
When School's Out: Simons has a scuba license, and a license to work with
radioactive metals and lead. He’s really into vegetarian cooking and trying out
raw foods, which could come in handy when he’s out camping. At home, he
enjoys web design and research.
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INSPIRED STUDENTS
Senior Travels to Costa Rica, Bringing Riches Home to ECHS
Sometimes you have to go far
to see what is within. During
her sophomore year at ECHS,
Marilyn Michelle Argueta was
selected to travel with 13
other ECHS students to Costa
Rica. They spent a week living
on farms producing different
agricultural products in a
sustainable manner.
The richness of that Costa
Rican experience inspired
Argueta to continue what she
learned when she returned. “I
decided to take an internship
with the Green Ambassadors
program at ECHS," she
explains.
The award-winning program
encourages students to begin solving some of our world’s environmental
problems while they are still in school. It fosters personal growth and leadership
skills - a perfect fit for ECHS, which uses environmental issues and action to
motivate and inspire students.
"I planned a 3-day, 2-night trip to Quail Springs," continues Argueta. Quail
Springs is a permaculture and sustainability demonstration and education farm
in Santa Barbara. "My goal was to inspire more teenagers from my school to
become part of the Green Movement and 'be the change' they want to see
around their communities."
She credits her growth to the encouragement she has found at ECHS. “Before
ECHS, I was a quiet person who didn’t really care about my surroundings,” she
admits. “The school gave me the support and guidance that I needed to be
confident in what I do, and an attitude that there are no limits to what we can
accomplish. Now, I am filled with confidence and not afraid to be a little
different.”
ECHS Student Jordan Howard Receives Heroes of Humanity
Award
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ECHS senior Jordan Howard received a Heroes of
Humanity Award at a November 14 event at the
Martin Luther King, Jr. Auditorium in Santa Monica.
The award is part of a nationwide effort to honor
people and organizations that exemplify a dedication
to human values and service in their community
through generosity and sharing, enthusiasm and joy,
and a responsible attitude toward society and the
planet.
Heroes of Humanity is a project of the International Association for Human
Values and the Art of Living Foundation, one of the largest of the United Nationsaccredited non-governmental organizations in the world.
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ECHS Student Receives Full Scholarships for College
Marlene Espinoza received a full scholarship to Kalamazoo College, a private 4year liberal arts school in Michigan.
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Saban Grant To Support College Access Project
The Saban Family, one of the 50 most generous
philanthropists in the United States according to
BusinessWeek, has pledged $10,000 to a
$147,000 project designed to help ECHS
students successfully enter into college following
graduation. The program will support:
College counseling, financial aid counseling, and after-school programs
Opportunities to take college classes, college tours, and find college
mentors
Training in self-advocacy skills to take advantage of support
mechanisms while in college
Internships to expose students to professional careers
College scholarships for up to 20 students based on their contributions
to the community through service projects.
The Saban Family Foundation was started in 1999 by Haim Saban, and his wife,
Cheryl, to support medical, children’s, and education programs. Saban is a
worldwide leader and pioneer in the entertainment industry and Chairman and
CEO of the Saban Capital Group, .
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ECHS Nominated for NEA Foundation Green Prize in Public
Education by the Green Building Institute
ECHS has been nominated by the Green Building Institute
for the inaugural NEA Foundation Green Prize in Public
Education for ECHS' integration of green-related topics
with standards-based content areas to increase student
engagement and improve academic achievement.
The NEA Foundation, an independent public charity created in 1969, supports
educators’ efforts to close achievement gaps, increase classroom innovations,
and salute excellence in education.
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Now Accepting Applications for Environmental Charter
Middle School: Opening Fall 2010
Environmental Charter Middle School will open in Gardena with 120 sixth
graders in the fall of 2010. click to Learn More
Help start Environmental Charter Middle School! The first phase of our plan to
help us by contributing towards start-up costs for staff recruitment, student
recruitment, enrollment, textbooks, and equipment.
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for its “best practices.” Its environmental (“Green Curriculum”) programs deeply
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student achievement, attendance, discipline, and enrollment with the
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space.
Indoor and outdoor science lab space, plumbing, fixtures, flooring,
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before.
Sponsors
41 Pounds
Biodiesel America
Biodiesel Solutions
Cater Green
CB+
Eco-Usable
Fundraising Green
Get Hip Get Green
Green Lotus Events
Green Torch
Seven Star Events
Northrop Grumman
Steaz
Yo Naturals Vending
Tree People
Tree Musketeers
Walker Talent Group
Partners
AQMD
Biodiesel Coop
Bioneers
Blue Sky Meadow
Bring Your Own
Brown Bag Naturals
Chevron
Common Vision
CREEC
Cuningham Group
Empowerment Works
FOLAR
From Lot to Spot
Generation Earth
Global Exchange
Green Fest
Heal the Bay
Lawndale Rotary
American Honda Foundation
M3
Mazda
Rex 3
Raytheon
Rediscover
State Farm
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link: Unsubscribe
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310 214 3400
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2009 - Environmental Charter Schools

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