Jupiter Images
DCL
Student participants in the 2010 Green Cup Challenge are leading the way to reducing the carbon footprints of schools nationwide.
The challenge begins January 25 and runs through February 22 (although NYC schools started on January 15), and has participants across the country. It's up to students and staff at individual schools how ambitious they want to get, and how they'll meet their goals.
Students at New York City's P.S. 166, for example, are aiming to reduce their 87,680 square-foot school's energy consumption by 10 percent. Two "Climate Captains" will lead the efforts for each classroom, ensuring lights and any appliances get turned off or unplugged when not in use and that windows are closed. A "Green Team" made up of students and staffs will monitor on a weekly basis how the entire school is doing. And, as any educator who works to bring green efforts into the school knows, the custodial staff are a key component to executing a successful plan, and the community outreach plan at P.S. 166 was designed to include them in the efforts from the start
Actor Matthew Modine recently talked about energy savings with kids at M.S. 442, the New Horizons Middle School in Brooklyn, where NYC officials announced the city's participation in the challenge.
Student-led design
Students are encouraged to include environmental issues from climate change to resource conservation in their efforts, and to come up with their own activities in order to meet their goals. If they need some help, the Green Cup Challenge is there with some helpful starting points: candlelight dinners, "Trashin' Shows," where students make clothes out of reused items, art contests illustrating environmental problems, "What's the wattage events" to analyze and understand electricity consumption, and climate rock concerts
The timing is intentional: the month-long challenge, which is sponsored by the Green Schools Alliance, takes place during peak wintertime energy use, so the students have their work cut out for them. At the end, schools are recognized based on percent improvement, total savings, and usage per student/square foot. Schools can also create a video to submit for the competition, though that's optional.
Join the challenge
If you are an educator or are on a school faculty in another capacity, it's pretty easy to get your school involved.
Step one: Register. (You'll have to know the student and faculty populations, and the square footage of your school).
Step two: Join a kick-off conference. (A little excitement can go a long way in motivating the kids!) If there is no conference already planned for your area, think about hosting one yourself.
Step three: Provide data. The data and meter reading directions will help you answer questions on how to do this. You'll need to keep the following dates in mind: February 1, 8, 15, 22. Data submission is due by 5 p.m. on those days.
