Small Grants for National Environmental Education Week
Success Story #3: Rock Terrace School
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A student at Rock Terrace school adds more lunch waste to the outdoor compost pile |
In 2008, Rock Terrace School in Rockville, Maryland received an EE Week Small Grant to reduce their carbon footprint by greening their schoolyard and conducting indoor energy saving measures.
The school’s overall strategy was to engage students in educational activities that would have a beneficial impact both on the environment and on the student population.
Last fall, the school converted from gasoline-powered leaf blowers to traditional raking to limit noise and air pollution on school grounds. Students and teachers also built two additional raised garden beds for organic produce and planted several native trees, shrubs, and perennials to increase the school’s no-mow zones. A weather station was built to enhance math and science learning while also reminding students and teachers to wear more layers and lower the thermostat in classrooms.
Students have spearheaded other energy reduction initiatives within the school building. The School Energy and Recycling Team (SERT) was able to get approval to remove every other light bulb in hallways to decrease electricity use by half. Energy efficient CFL light bulbs, which use only 25% of conventional light bulbs, were installed in staff bathrooms and other rooms. The SERT team reminds teachers and fellow students to turn off lights when leaving rooms and to unplug electrical appliances like fans and pencil sharpeners that can use “phantom” energy even when they are turned off.
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| Rock Terrace students expand their native plant beds |