Developing a Student Program to Reduce Impacts Brad Kuntz Gladstone High School

The Gladstone Story  From non-existent to award winning in five years  A complete cultural transformation  Working to integrate from elementary, middle, high school to the district office and school board  Project-based, service learning instruction as vehicle  Benefits students, school, community, district and the environment  Large, active group of students, taking measures into their own hands

Student Benefits  Engages students in real life work  Academic and life skills  Student-led projects, empowers students  Opportunities for reading, researching and writing improvement  Problem solving and critical thinking  Teamwork, cooperative learning  Leadership  Forms unique relationship between teacher and student  Chance to make an impact, create change  Become more active, conscious, healthier citizens  Discover their voices can be heard, actions have power, learn how to create change

School Benefits of a Sustainability Program  Transform school’s culture over time through visible, influential projects  Reach students, staff, administration, district leadership, community members  Significantly decrease footprint over time  Reduce costs to district, influence wise investments  Become a leader in your region, influence other schools  Point of pride, school spirit, something to rally around  Connections, networking, partnerships with organizations to create new opportunities

Community Benefits of a Sustainability Program  Can improve relationship between school and community (even if already positive)  Students discover a side of their community they didn’t know existed: opportunities, resources, networks  Community members witness the exciting goings-on within your building & high quality of students/teachers  Families/community members decrease their footprints, save money

The Pathway Forward  Form your team  Baseline measurement  Communicate  Take action

Form Your Team  Who will join you to begin/continue the journey toward sustainability?  When will the work take place?  What are the pros/cons of various scenarios?

Form Your Team  Create class projects  Involve a pre-existing club  Start a club/Green Team  Students  Staff  Administrators  Custodians  Parents

Beginning a New Club: How To Recruit Membership  Traditional methods of distributing news to student body  Approach Individuals  Get Staff Recommendations  Contact Parents  Recruit Superstars  Recruit More Staff  Target specific skills

Keys to Running A Successful Organization  Scheduling  Work around other clubs, athletics to avoid schedule conflicts with students  Have Fun!  Find balance between accomplishing your goals, but having a good time doing it!  Be Visible  Incentives, recognition  How to Get Attendance  Remind, Remind, Remind  Make them feel welcomed when they come, even if they’re late, or missed if they don’t come!  Open Enrollment? Or solid commitment?  Student Leadership  Nominations and Elections  Committee System  It’s Not A Class  Running Meetings

Baseline Measurement  Waste  Recycling  Energy  Water  Transportation  Specific Products  Building effciency  More…

Waste Audit  Your goal is twofold  Present the data in meaningful ways to the various essential groups in the school community (students, staff, administration)  Wake them up to the reality of waste, motivate for change  Target specific improvements, create goals, determine action items based on the results

The Process  Guide your students to understand the task in advance  Through discussions  Have them read the step by step instructions provided today  Assign various tasks  Organization  Data gathering  Physical components  Leave me with your address for step by step instructions of my version of a waste audit

Prior to the Waste Audit  Review proper recycling procedures  Correct common misconceptions…like plastic cups, paper plates  Waste audit done with incorrect recycling knowledge will produce inaccurate data

Questions to Answer During Audit  What percentage of your overall daily trash should have been placed in your recycling?  Of the materials considered to be trash, what types of items are thrown away most often? How can their consumption be decreased? Are any of these recyclable by other means?

Take Action: Improve Recycling System  Bin procurement  Hauler  Grants  Cheap/free (buckets, boxes, donated)  Consistent  Arrangement  Paired  Everywhere  Signage  Clear  Educational  Consistent

Communication  Students  Assemblies, announcements, classroom visits, videos  Staff  Train staff to train students  Recycling monitors  Administration  Policies: pairing bins/cans, syllabus requirement ***Recycling is NOT the most important thing, but it’s an excellent place to start!

Take Action: Expand Recycling System  Rigid Plastics  Film Plastics  Compost  Electronics

Take Action: Target Specific Products  Is it time to work towards the elimination of:  Paper plates?  Styrofoam cups/bowls/plates?  Packaged apple slices?  Other ridiculous products?

Communicate Waste Audit Results  How do you best present the results to:  Staff?  Students?  Administration?  Should you present the results to:  The Board?  Parents?  Kitchen staff?

Review  That was just one audit!  Student benefits  Engaged, involved, developing leaders!  Reading and following step-by-step instructions  Researching local recycling details  Math, Data analysis, problem solving  School benefits  Cultural shift has begun  More receptive to next steps  Community benefits  Students taking home strengthened understanding

Water and Energy Tracking  Get district people keeping better track  Organize bills, track usage over time, identify areas of concern  Chance for saving money  Look at motion sensors  Discuss efficiency options/investments

After Hours Audit  How much energy is wasted after school hours by leaving computers and lights on?  Chance to save money and energy  Addresses teacher habits mostly….Careful not to judge…must be gentle to encourage change!  Students presenting data need to be well- prepared, with data, charts, facts

Transportation Audit  Work towards a No Idling policy  Educate drivers how much money is wasted and pollution is created through the average 5 minute idle  Walk/Bike/Skate/Car Pool to School Competition  Discourage driving alone (or riding alone in parent’s car)

Specific Products Audit  Disposable plastic water bottles  Copy paper  Paper plates  Plastic cups  Ream wrappers  Food waste

GHS Water Bottle Project  Apply similar approach wherever necessary  Measured the problem  Surveyed students to get to source of the problem  Blind taste test  Educate students, staff, admin, school board Educate  Provide alternative (filling stations, cheap reusables)  Eventually, go for the kill shot

Other Projects  Local foods  Gardening  Community Space  Recycled Art