Maryland’s Stream Restoration Challenge

August 27th, 2012 by Sarah

“Through the Stream Restoration Challenge, we will give local governments, schools, watershed organizations and other academic institutions the tools they need to make a difference and improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay," said Governor O'Malley, seen here fly fishing in a Maryland Stream. Photo Credit: Maryland State Archives.

Maryland’s Stream Restoration Challenge is a competitive grant program that will seek to establish 1,000 acres of stream-side forests by 2015. For this challenge, the state and its partners have allocated $6 million to plant forested stream buffers with the goals of improving Bay water quality and creating opportunities for middle and high school students to engage in service-learning and environmental literacy activities.  Local governments and non-government organizations (including watershed, community, and faith-based organizations, scout troops, school systems, and other academic institutions,) are encouraged to apply.

“The Stream Restoration Challenge complements the environmental literacy programs in many local school systems,” said Dr. Lillian M. Lowery, State superintendent of Schools. “It provides an authentic context for students to use critical-thinking skills and multidisciplinary content knowledge to investigate and help solve environmental problems affecting streams in their communities, and the Chesapeake Bay.”

As such, projects funded will engage and educate students and other citizens to promote an understanding of watershed issues and establish positive attitudes and behaviors that benefit local watersheds. Proposals that engage middle and high school students in earning Service Learning hours and align with the current State curriculum and learning standards will receive higher scores.

Costs for schools to participate can be included in the proposal and technical assistance is available, including help pairing schools/school systems with more technical partners.

To extend the reach of the challenge and promote community participation, urban communities that do not have available stream buffer opportunities may propose urban greening projects (i.e. greening of vacant urban lots, urban tree canopy, bioretention, bioswales, floating wetlands), which will be evaluated based on the potential environmental impact.

Applications are due 5 p.m. on October 31, 2012.

For additional information on this program, please refer to the Maryland’s Stream Restoration Challenge Request for Proposals.

Educators interested in participating in the Challenge can also check out these great Stream Restoration and Forest Buffer Lesson Plans!

Filed under: Funding
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Sarah Brzezinski works for the Chesapeake Research Consortium as the Chesapeake Bay Program's Fostering Stewardship and Education Workgroup Team Staffer. She also serves as the content manager of Bay Backpack.

Green Strides Webinar: September Series

August 20th, 2012 by Sarah

The Green Strides Webinar Series is designed to connect school communities and state and local education officials to existing federal resources that support the three pillars identified in the U.S. Department of Education (US ED) Green Ribbon Schools recognition award program: (1) Reduced Environmental Impact and Costs, (2) Improved Health and Wellness, and (3) Effective Environmental and Sustainability Education. The series is hosted by the U.S. Department of Education, in conjunction with numerous other federal agencies. This September, the Green Strides Webinar Series will be conducted on:

School Buildings and Community Building
style= September 5, 2012 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

This webinar will discuss EPA’s voluntary School Siting Guidelines and describe how a growing number of communities are using school investments to meet educational, environmental, health, economic, social, and fiscal goals.

No pre- registration is required. Log-on here! Conference Number: (866) 299-3188. Participant Code: 2025662950

Image: via EPA
Strategic Collaboration for Effective Asthma Management in Schools
September 12, 2012 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Leading asthma experts will discuss best practices for asthma management in schools and how to form successful collaborations with key partners. Understand the connection between effective asthma management in schools and green and healthy learning environments.

Register here!

Image: via EPA
The School Flag Program
September 19, 2012 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

This webinar will highlight the four easy steps needed to implement the School Flag Program based on the Air Quality Index (AQI) and feature other air quality educational resources.

Register here!

Image: via EPA
The Sun, UV, and You: EPA’s SunWise Program
September 26, 2012 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

The SunWise Program is an environmental and health education program that teaches the risks of overexposure to UV radiation and simple actions to protect one self.  We will focus on the free tools and resources available from SunWise for grades K – 8.

Register here!

Image: via EPA
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Sarah Brzezinski works for the Chesapeake Research Consortium as the Chesapeake Bay Program's Fostering Stewardship and Education Workgroup Team Staffer. She also serves as the content manager of Bay Backpack.

Have a Recycling Relay Race!

August 13th, 2012 by Sarah

Relay races are a great way to get students outdoors, physically active, and engaged in learning! Image courtesy of USDAgov via Flickr.

Did you know that you can help your students learn about and practice recycling through a simple relay race? Here’s how:

Gather some recyclable and non-recyclable materials and split your class into appropriately sized teams. Have each team form a line at the start line and give each team a selection of recyclable and trash items (each team should have the same total number of items).  Put a trash can and a recycling bin an equal distance away from each team.  For the relay, a team member from each team will have to select an item, run to the trash/recycling bins, place the item in the appropriate bin, and run back to and cross the start line before their next team member can take a turn.  As the relay takes place, make sure that all trash and recyclable items have been placed in the correct bin.  If an item is sorted incorrectly, a team member must take an “extra lap” to run out, identify the item that was incorrectly sorted and run back to their start line with it so another team member can run back to the bins and sort it correctly.

The relay will continue until all of the teams have sorted all of their items correctly. The team that completes the task in the shortest amount of time will win!  You can complicate the relay in a variety of ways, such as having the last student “shoot” the recycle/trash item into the appropriate bin from a certain distance away (like basketball), adding a “reuse” bin for objects that do not have to be recycled after just one use, etc.

Filed under: Teaching Resources
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Sarah Brzezinski works for the Chesapeake Research Consortium as the Chesapeake Bay Program's Fostering Stewardship and Education Workgroup Team Staffer. She also serves as the content manager of Bay Backpack.

Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School

August 6th, 2012 by Connie Kelley

Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School (Stevens) models the “green” initiatives our district has implemented since 2007, and was recently awarded U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School status in recognition of our efforts. In addition to our in-class environmental education efforts, the school itself serves as a real-world model of healthy and environmentally responsible behavior in practice. Here are some of the key environmental areas our school excels in, and examples of how we achieve our “green” accomplishments:

Our school meets ASHRAE standards for indoor air quality and ventilation.

Air and Water:

  • A 2002 ESCO Project with Chevron Energy Solutions included guaranteed water savings via retrofits of low flow equipment.
  • The school’s water source, treated by a borough treatment plant, continually produces high quality water that exceeds EPA standards and is compliant with the Safe Drinking Water Act.
  • All schools in the district are tested for radon.
  • Asthma workshops are offered through “Open Airways”, an American Lung Association program.

Paper Recycling in the Chambersburg Area School District

Waste and Chemicals:

  • Stevens partners with IESI, a local waste management company, for Single-Stream Recycling. In 2008, the district earned the Professional Recyclers of PA award.
  • The Custodial Department uses Green Seal Certified, ISSA, and Costar paper, janitorial, carpet cleaning, and floor scrubbing products.
  • An integrated pest management plan and a chemical management program that selects the EPA’s Design for the Environment approved products, is in place district-wide.

Student Health:

Reaping the nutritional benefits of a healthy school garden.

  • Our Food Service Department started the ChooseMyPlate.gov program this school year. This USDA program provides nutrition and exercise education, encouraging building healthy plates of food and practicing physical fitness.
  • Besides physical education classes and daily recess outdoors, Stevens conducts a Field Day in May. Stations encourage fitness, team building, endurance, leadership, and competition.
  • Wellness Days with Summit Health for 3rd graders includes educational stations about exercise, anger management, tobacco, nutrition, drugs/alcohol, self-esteem, and fire/ police safety topics.

Schoolyard Habitats:

Student planting in a school garden.

  • Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School “green” space provides ecological and social benefits. The property includes a community-use soccer field, playground, 40-foot x 40-foot fenced garden, and a row of Bluebird nesting boxes from a class project.
  • Last summer, Stevens partnered with Penn State Cooperative Extension, the 4-H Program, and Local Master Gardeners to implement the Harvest 4-Health program. A 40-foot x 40-foot garden was designed, planted, and managed, harvesting 225 pounds of food by more than 60 students in the Kids Learning After School Program.

Energy:

Since 2009, Stevens has earned Energy Star Labels for 3 consecutive years; with an Energy Star percentage reduction of 36.8% for October 2010 to October 2011.

  • An Energy Management Program has been implemented district-wide. Stevens has saved over $78,400 or 27.19% in 53 months of benchmarking.
  • Automated heating, ventilation, & air conditioning (HVAC) controls were added to the school. Monitoring allows for reduced use during unoccupied times; holidays and summers are planned shut down periods.
  • Stevens’ environmental impact from electric and oil savings is equal to 404 equivalent metric tons of CO2 reduction. This equates to 10,324 trees planted and grown for 10 years!
  • More than half of the 280 students walk to school from nearby multi-family housing developments. With bussing needs greatly reduced, transportation is efficient.

A culture of energy conservation, helping to protect the environment, reduce operating costs and use of natural resources, is evident at Stevens, modeling environmental stewardship for students. Via our building energy performance, activities to promote healthy living, and enriching programs in partnership with varied community groups, “being green” resonates at Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School.

Filed under: School Spotlight
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Connie Kelley is the Energy Manager of the Chambersburg Area School District.