Benchmarking & Green Goals Summary

Transcription

1 Benchmarking & Green Goals Summary SY SUMMARY At the beginning of the school year Madison County Green School Coordinators were asked to complete documentation regarding their school. This included: Green Schools Benchmarking - to determine what the school was currently doing, or not, regarding sustainability programs and projects as well as identifying projects Coordinators would like to see at their school. Green Goals to list the programs and projects the Coordinators and the school s Green Team are currently undertaking for the SY in addition to identifying what they hope to accomplish in the next two school years. This information generates a snapshot of current sustainability efforts in Madison County schools, creating a baseline to compare future efforts both at that school and throughout the County. Coordinators will be asked to complete these forms annually. If a Coordinator completes these forms, the school receives a $100 stipend to be put towards their sustainability efforts. Schools completing these forms are also eligible to apply for the $2,000 Green Seed Environmental Grants for the current school year. RESULTS As of this date, 36 schools have completed their paperwork, reflecting a 31% overall return rate. This includes schools from 9 of the 13 public school districts along with several parochial and private schools. We are continuing to encourage schools to submit their forms so that we can keep building on these results as the year goes. % Returned Private Parochial Wood River Hartford Venice Triad Roxana Madison EAWR HS East Alton Highland Granite City Edwardsville Collinsville Bethalto Alton % Returned

2 School Benchmarking Highlights Schools were asked to answer a number of audit-type (yes/no) questions in five categories to determine actions their school is currently undertaking. Those categories included 1) Built Environment, 2) Water Quality, 3) Air Quality, 4) Energy Conservation & Efficiency and 5) Innovation in Design and Operations. Below are the top 3-5 yes responses for each category, along with new actions they d like to institute at their school. Built Environment Minimize fertilizers & follow conservative watering schedule Energy efficient windows and/or doors Garden or other natural area Maintain grounds during times when students aren't present Turn off outdoor lights during the daytime New Built Environment actions to initiate: Institute a no-idling policy for vehicles (17.5%) Water Quality Waterless urinals, low-flow or dual flush toilets Utilize low-flow or other aeration devices on faucets Use automatic faucets

3 New Water Quality actions to initiate: Post reminders to reduce water use (17.5%) Capture rain water or other gray water for reuse (12.5%) Air Quality Use environmentally safe cleaners Have a policy regarding animals in the classroom Sweep outside sidewalks clean & use "walk off" mats at all major entries Energy Conservation & Efficiency Energy-saving devices (motion sensors, sleep modes, timers etc) on equipment Fluorescent, compact fluorescent or LED light bulbs Working thermostats in the classrooms Discourage use of personal refrigerators, space heaters or other appliances in classrooms Reduce heating/cooling when building is unoccupied New Energy Conservation & Efficiency actions to initiate: Post reminders to turn off lights and computers if energy-efficiency devices are not available (i.e. a turn it off campaign) (21%) Conduct an annual green school (energy, waste, lighting, water or other) audit (10%)

4 Recycling & Solid Waste Recycle paper, plastic, metals & glass Offer healthy options for meals and/or in vending machines Use primarily electronic communication with faculty, staff, parents and community Recycle other materials such as eyeglasses, cell phones, plastic bags, clothing etc. Print on both sides of paper New Recycling & Solid Waste actions to initiate: Recycle paper, plastic, metals & glass (15%) Discourage the use of disposable/plastic water bottles (15%) Promote waste-free lunches (13%) Innovation in Design & Operations Integrate sustainability into current curriculum Opps for students in environmental, health, or humanitarian causes Recognize sustainability accomplishments of students & staff Involve the community in school events Promote school's sustainability efforts Take part in sustainability-themed programs New Innovation in Design & Operations actions they d like to initiate: Take field trips to local natural areas or host sustainability-themed speakers (18%) Promote school s sustainability efforts to students, parents, and community through announcements, newsletter and/or press release (16%) Have a green school action plan, guidelines, or goals and regularly monitor progress (16%)

5 School Green Goals Highlights Coordinators were asked to form a Green Team and then meet with that team to complete the benchmarking document and develop Green Goals for what they hoped to accomplish in the current school year and the next two years. Every school responded that they will continue with their current efforts in recycling and taking part in various collections and competitions already offered by the County. However, many of the schools included plans within those goals that went above and beyond basic recycling activities. A summary of those innovative goals are below: Solid Waste & Recycling Blue jean collection Book swap and donations; creating little lending libraries Increasing Terracycling efforts Recycling magic markers Purchasing reusable plastic trays for the cafeteria Hosting community recycling events Going 100% paperless Eliminate bottled water Composting Food-related projects Veggie tasting program Using local food for cooking and snacks at the school Instituting a food sharing table Decreasing cafeteria and food waste Water Quality/Stormwater Abatement Adding rain barrels, native gardens or landscaping, rain gardens, and bioswales to site Tree planting on school grounds Participating in the Rain Gauge Monitoring program Energy Changing to LED light bulbs Signs to increase awareness and reminders to turn off lights, computers etc. Solar control window film Education Creating a Green Team at the school Creating an environmental assembly program Field trips to natural areas and recycling facilities Professional development for teachers Sustainability-themed classroom programs and speakers Air Quality Instituting a no-idling campaign Participating in EPA Air Quality flag program Growing plants and giving them to other classrooms

6 CONCLUSIONS In addition to generating quantitative data on County sustainability efforts, these documents also serve the purpose of making Coordinators more aware of what s going on at their school, as well as identifying potential future projects they may wish to undertake. Additionally, the results indicate where a school s or Coordinator s interests lie, and recognize areas that require further support. Knowing this will help the County Green Schools Coordinator provide assistance in ways that will be most beneficial to all. It is exciting to see the innovative new ideas and goals put forth by many of the schools. It is also highly encouraging to see the range of projects, including several in new topic areas such as food, air quality, landscaping and natural areas, water quality and education. This range of goals indicates that Coordinators are truly beginning to think beyond recycling and grasp the importance of the overall big picture of sustainability. Goals for the future The Madison County Green Schools Coordinator has the following goals for the program s future: Continued support for current areas that schools are already doing well, i.e. Solid Waste & Recycling and Energy Conservation & Efficiency. Increased support for and participation by schools in areas that didn t score as many yes responses, i.e. Water Quality and Built Environment. Addition of some new benchmarking items including more food-related questions, education questions, economic questions and social justice-related questions. Increased participation by K-12 schools in the overall benchmarking and goals process. Reaching out to early childhood institutions throughout the County to encourage their participation in the Green Schools Program. For further information about the Madison County Green Schools Program, benchmarking, and/or Green Goals results, contact Kim Petzing, Green Schools Coordinator at or via at [email protected]