Cool School Challenger
Cool news for cool schools
Summer 2009 Edition
Welcome to the latest edition of the Cool
School Challenger, a quarterly update on the Cool School Challenge
program.
In this issue:
- Cool School Challenge receives national award
- 750,000 lbs, and counting! The year in review…
- Summer workshop schedule
- Penny for your thoughts Puget Sound Energy stipends are still available
- An invitation for teachers Climate change, the Cascades and the Cool School Challenge
- Raise money for your school with ITSCOOL
- Calendar Check here for upcoming events and opportunities
- Cool tips for summer
Cool School Challenge receives national Clean Air Excellence Award How does it feel to be part of an award-winning program? We think it feels pretty great! In a ceremony last month, the Cool School Challenge program received a Clean Air Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. From over 125 applications received, the Cool School Challenge was chosen for its impact, innovation and replicability. Each year the Clean Air Excellence Awards program recognizes and honors outstanding and innovative efforts to achieve cleaner air.
We would like to thank all of the Cool School Challenge teachers and students who have participated in the program, and honor and recognize your role in the success of this program. A program that started with one teacher in one school has now reached several hundred teachers in Washington State and beyond, helping young people across the nation create a climate of change. Read the full news release here.
750,000 lbs, and counting! The year in review… Wow, what a year! As the 2008-2009 school year winds to a close, the number of schools taking the Challenge has nearly doubled, bringing the total potential CO2 savings of our collective efforts to nearly 750,000 lbs. We'd like to extend a warm welcome to the cool schools participating in the Challenge this year.
Listed alphabetically, they include:
Bellingham High School, Cascade High School (Everett), Cavelero Mid High School (Everett), Coupeville Middle School, Eastside Catholic School (Sammamish), Enterprise Elementary (Redding, California), Fort Clarke Middle School (Gainesville, FL), Grand Valley High School (Parachute, CO), Hillcrest Elementary (Everett), Immaculate Conception Regional School (Mt. Vernon), Ingraham High School (Seattle), Keithley Middle School (Tacoma), Jackson High (Everett), Lake Stevens High School, Liberty High School (Issaquah), Lynden High School, Nooksack Valley High (Everson), Odyssey Middle School (Bainbridge Island), Olympia High School, Port Townsend High School, Ridgeline Middle School (Yelm), Sedro-Woolley High, Squalicum High (Bellingham), Parkview Elementary (Bellingham), and Redmond High School. Check out “Who’s Cool” for a complete list participating schools, their goals, and results.
We wish you luck in shrinking your carbon footprints!
This year the Cool School Challenge team also offered a series of free training workshops to introduce the program to teachers and into schools. From Bellevue to Bellingham, Seattle to Spokane, over 200 teachers have now been trained to implement the program in Washington State. Adding to the mix, this year several workshops were attended by students, bringing energy and youth perspective to the training. Here’s what they had to say:
- “I think all schools should take this program and work together to make a difference,” said one 12th grade participant.
- “I'm really excited to implement this at our school. I thought that there were really good ideas about how to show the difference you're making. I think if people see the numbers in savings they will understand how bad our CO2 emissions really are,” remarked a 10th grade participant. (Incidentally, this student had the Challenge going within one week of attending the training and set the record for quickest training to implementation turn around!)
Attention teachers | Learn about the Challenge at one of our summer workshops If you didn’t make it to one of our spring or fall teacher training workshops, fear not! We have some in the works for this summer to help bring the Challenge to your school.
Workshops are free, and a great way to connect climate education in your classroom – and connect with other educators. Teachers receive clock hours and program materials. Also – if your school is in Puget Sound Energy’s service territory, you can take advantage of a stipend they are offering for teachers that complete the Cool School Challenge. Teachers can receive $300 if they 1) attend a training workshop; 2) implement the Challenge and submit their results; and 3) complete a brief online evaluation form.
Currently scheduled workshops:
- August 4-6 , 2009 | From Science to Action
Location: Baker Lodge Lake (near Concrete, Washington).This extended format workshop is geared toward teachers infusing climate change into their curricula. School teams from Whatcom, Island, Skagit and Snohomish Counties are especially encouraged to attend together, including science, interdisciplinary and primary teacher teams. Participation is free. For more information, download the flyer. - August 19 , 2009 | 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Location: Olympic Educational Service District 114 (Bremerton, Washington). Teachers of grades 6-12 in Olympic Educational Service District 114 are invited to participate in this Cool School Challenge training workshop. For details, download the flyer.
Check our Workshop Schedule for details, and for additional workshops as they are listed.
Penny for your thoughts | Puget Sound Energy stipends are still available A reminder to teachers taking the Challenge: Because we want the Cool School Challenge to be as valuable a tool as possible, we are eager to hear about your experiences with the program and materials. To help us continually improve, Puget Sound Energy offers a stipend to teachers who complete the Challenge and share their feedback. Here’s how it works:
- Teachers who attend a PSE-sponsored Cool School Challenge workshops, implement the Challenge at their school, and complete a brief online evaluation can receive $300.
- Teachers who do not attend a workshop, but still implement the Challenge and complete the online evaluation can receive $200.
- The fine print: Eligibility is limited to teachers who teach at a school within Puget Sound Energy’s service territory.
- For more information, email us at: info@coolschoolchallenge.org
Get on board | Climate change, the Cascades and the Cool School Challenge
Here's a fabulous opportunity to learn from the pros about the impacts of climate
change on our local environs. To recognize and celebrate all you have done
to help your schools reduce greenhouse gas emissions, teachers who have completed
the Cool School Challenge are invited to join us for a special one-day field
trip in the North Cascades. Experience the wilderness setting of Ross Lake,
a fjord-like jewel in the international Upper Skagit River valley, and learn
about the cultural and geographical history that has crisscrossed this remote
terrain for eons. From a comfortable perch onboard the 30-foot Ross Mule, an
open-decked boat, you will hear vivid accounts about the incredible geology
and history of the region from Jon Riedel, noted National Park Service geologist
and Captain Gerry Cook, the most senior employee at North Cascades National
Park and an accomplished artist and naturalist. You will also learn about how
climate change is impacting the glaciers of the North Cascades National Park.
The details:
- Boat trips depart from Ross Lake on August 11th and 12th, 2009.
- Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis and limited to 20 participants each day.
- The trip is offered free of charge to any teacher who has completed the Cool School Challenge and submitted their results. If you’ve done the program but didn’t send us your results – it’s not too late. Just fill in this online form before space runs out.
- Contact Dave Reid at dave.reid@pse.com for more information.
Get on the Upward Spiral with ITSCOOL! Interested in raising money for your school, club, or organization? Want to learn more about how your choices affect climate change? If you answered "yes" to these questions, you'll want to consider joining ITSCOOL! The ITSCOOL program being implemented in Puget Sound Energy's (PSE) service area, entitled "Get on the Upward Spiral," is open to schools, clubs, teams and other groups for ages 7-18 in PSE's electric service area. Lake Washington High School Environmental Club, in Kirkland, is among the groups that will launch the fundraising program this spring. Youth groups will be able to keep up to 63 percent of the money they raise, much higher than most school and club fundraising activities. To raise money for your activities this year, join the ITSCOOL program and sell CFL bulbs, which are up to 75 percent more efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs. PSE will provide the CFLs, along with educational materials and other programmatic support. Groups interested in participating in ITSCOOL fundraisers and bringing their community together to encourage energy efficiency can e-mail Powerful Choices facilitators Danny Grady, danny.grady@pse.com or Lynne Dial, lynne.dial@pse.com for more information.
Cool tips for the summer. Summer is a great time to start take advantage of the numerous ways to make your commute more efficient. You’ll reduce carbon dioxide emissions, be healthier, clean our air and save money.
- Leave your car at home at least 1 day a week…or more! Commit to using alternative transportation at least one day every week. Try walking or biking if you live in town. Or ride the bus - expanded routes in most communities and friendly drivers make the bus a great choice. If you have a 10 mile commute (one way) and cut one day of driving a week, you could save over 900 pounds of carbon dioxide form being emitted every year.
- Stop idling your vehicle It’s as easy as turning a key! If you are sitting in the same spot for more than 30 seconds, turn your engine off. Some of the most common places people over-idle are in ferry lines, schools, drive-throughs (banks, fast food restaurants, pharmacies and coffee stands) construction backups, or while warming up the car in the morning. Simply turning off your vehicle every time you’re stopped for more than 30 seconds can prevent 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution from entering the air each year.
- Check the tire pressure.Low tire pressure increases the friction between your tire and the road and lowers your gas mileage. Check the pressure in your tires every time you stop for gas (you can pick up a tire pressure gauge for about a buck). Make sure that the pressure in your tires is at the recommended PSI (check your vehicles operating manual or the rim of the tire for the proper PSI). If a tire is consistently low, have it checked out at your local tire shop. Many places (Les Schwab for sure) will fix a slow leak for free. Keeping your vehicles tires pumped-up at the proper PSI saves gas and carbon dioxide pollution - about 415 pounds of it every year!
- Go to www.ImCool.info for more cool tips that will help you go retro with your carbon dioxide output.
- Receive Weekly Climate Change Tips from the Northwest Clean Air Agency. Sign up at http://www.nwcleanair.org/.
About the Cool School Challenge The Cool School Challenge is a web-based climate education program designed to engage students and teachers in practical strategies to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions schoolwide. The program was developed by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency in partnership with Puget Sound Energy and the Northwest Clean Air Agency.
