Elementary Schools Driving Community Climate Action
Oral Presentation
Author
Dave Finnigan, Climate Change is Elementary - GreenActionPBC
In 23 schools in 5 states (NY, NJ, CT, MA, MD) we have tested a program with nationwide implications. Short video at https://youtu.be/1cSgeK7FnUQ
Climate Change is Elementary, is presented in K-5 or K-8 schools because Elementary students can get their parents back in the evening for Family Night. In one day our outside presenter gets teachers, students and over half the parents in a school to accept the urgency of the problem and, to fill out and pledge to follow a Green Action Checklist of all the things they promise to do to reduce their carbon and water footprints. http://bit.ly/1yvfmB7
Seat belt use, recycling, anti-smoking, anti-littering all started in elementary schools with highly publicized educational programs using outside presenters to get schools involved. We are ready to do the same with climate change.
The problem so far is follow-through by families.
The reward system we are working on and the next logical step for our program is to tie the Green Action Checklist to vendors of products and services found on the list, so that the vendor gives a rebate to the "Green Team" at the school every time a family makes a qualifying purchase. We won top prize for this idea in the 2014 MIT Climate CoLab Youth Action Contest. http://bit.ly/1Rc6TL8
Our theme for the program is "As we green our homes we'll green our schools." Schools involve all the local solar installers, energy auditors, hardware chains and other businesses selling products or services found on the Green Action Checklist.
We could employ literally hundreds of college grads to go from school to school all over the country with this program. We have not been able to find any interest in our home state of Florida, so we will go anywhere to get this program designed, tested and launched.
Climate Change is Elementary, is presented in K-5 or K-8 schools because Elementary students can get their parents back in the evening for Family Night. In one day our outside presenter gets teachers, students and over half the parents in a school to accept the urgency of the problem and, to fill out and pledge to follow a Green Action Checklist of all the things they promise to do to reduce their carbon and water footprints. http://bit.ly/1yvfmB7
Seat belt use, recycling, anti-smoking, anti-littering all started in elementary schools with highly publicized educational programs using outside presenters to get schools involved. We are ready to do the same with climate change.
The problem so far is follow-through by families.
The reward system we are working on and the next logical step for our program is to tie the Green Action Checklist to vendors of products and services found on the list, so that the vendor gives a rebate to the "Green Team" at the school every time a family makes a qualifying purchase. We won top prize for this idea in the 2014 MIT Climate CoLab Youth Action Contest. http://bit.ly/1Rc6TL8
Our theme for the program is "As we green our homes we'll green our schools." Schools involve all the local solar installers, energy auditors, hardware chains and other businesses selling products or services found on the Green Action Checklist.
We could employ literally hundreds of college grads to go from school to school all over the country with this program. We have not been able to find any interest in our home state of Florida, so we will go anywhere to get this program designed, tested and launched.