Evanston Schools' Sustainable Activities

Evanston schools are going green. There's lots of cool sustainable stuff happening in District 65, ETHS, and private schools. Here we highlight one of the schools. If you would like us to highlight your favorite school's sustainable activity or program, please contact us on facebook www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/CitizensGreenerEvanston or the CGE youth blog anotherway-cge.com

Dr. Bessie Rhodes Magnet School

Awarded the SWANCC Waste Reduction Grant and
Lucansky Environmental Stewardship Award

The Bessie Rhodes Green Team works to make our school a more environmentally friendly place in which to learn and grow. Through our actions we hope to inspire those around us to become active participants in protecting and preserving our planet. The focus of the Green Team has been on environmental education and reducing waste.

Projects and accomplishments of the Bessie Rhodes Green Team:

Lunchroom:

All classrooms teach the importance of recycling, what can be recycled and ways to reduce waste at lunch.
Made signs for recycling bins with pictures of what can be recycled
Conducted "weigh-ins" of food waste to show the students how much food is being thrown out
Results: the number of garbage cans in the lunchroom was reduced from 5 to 2 cans per day.

School Supplies:

Worked with all teachers to significantly reduce their school supply lists
Conducted school supply drive for gently used supplies
Promote reuse of existing supplies from year to year
Promote taking care of the supplies the children already have rather than treating them as disposable items
Results: the school supply lists are much shorter this year, saving families money as well as conserving resources.

Earth Week Activities:

An all school assembly during which Mary Allen from SWANCC presented about reducing waste
Walk/Bike to school day
Poetry/Rap contest about what Earth means to the children-winner was presented at assembly and published in school newsletter

School Events:

Created a green protocol for all school events: recycling bins readily available, choosing recycled paper goods over Styrofoam or plastic, and favoring the purchase of bulk food items to reduce packaging waste
Purchased large thermoses to use during in-class parties and larger school events, which eliminates the need to buy individually packaged drinks

Education:

Provide teachers with resources to teach green themes in the classroom
Acquire environmentally themed books for school library
Provide green tips in the school newsletter as well as on the school website
Over half of Rhodes families now receive their flyers electronically instead of receiving hard copies
Maintain the school garden
Obtained an additional bike rack

Washington Elementary School

Roots and Shoots Club

Roots and Shoots Club is an international organization developed by the Jane Goodall Institute designed to empower young people by helping people, animals and the environment. At Washington Elementary School, the Roots and Shoots Club consists of 4^th and 5^th grade students who understand that these three goals are intertwined.

These fourth and fifth graders have gone to great lengths to help make the earth a better place for all. They've accomplished quite a lot just during fall 2010.

Projects and accomplishments of the Roots and Shoots Club:

Restoration work through the Mighty Acorns program
Mighty Acorns is a fun program that teaches people to take care of the environment by restoring nature, collecting seeds from native plants, and reproducing more of those plants. Restoring habitat helps animals by saving their habitat. Kids are planning to bring their new knowledge to the butterfly garden at Washington.

Educating the school community about the three R's:
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
As part of Washington's Wellness Wednesday series, Roots and Shoots kids split into three different groups and each created and presented a grade-level tailored program. Between the groups the whole school got quite an education about reducing the amount of garbage that they generate. Kids created skits and even a game show to get their important message across. At the end of the series, the whole school signed the following pledge, "We pledge to help take care of the earth by making less garbage. We will buy less stuff in less packaging. We will reuse materials whenever possible. We will recycle whatever we can."

Moreover, in our cafeteria, kids are being taught how to sort and prepare items to recycle. Those who bring lunches are learning the joys of reusable containers and the waste-free lunch. Roots and Shoots is also collecting items for Terracycle, a company that repurposes packaging to make items such as folders and binders. Additionally kids are collecting shoes for two purposes: old sneakers are sent off to be ground up and turned into tracks and basketball courts, while gently used shoes are sent to an organization that puts them on needy feet in other countries.

Upcoming activities More trips to do resotration work on the prairie; an urban wildlife inventory; making repurposed crafts from old tee shirts and juice pouches; and raising heirloom tomato seedlings to sell at the Ridgeville Farmers market.

ROOTS AND SHOOTS - INFORMATION FOR PRESS RELEASE......