Professional Documents
Culture Documents
10 1 1 389 7433 PDF
10 1 1 389 7433 PDF
in School Settings
by
Dana C. Showers
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Number of Pages: 24
ABSTRACT
envirorunent through the continuous improvement of our energy performance while saving our
school district money. We believe that a district-wide energy management approach will help us
enhance our financial health and aid in preserving the envirorunent for future generations. Our
Grant Goals are: the members ofBHS Go Green Committee will determine the extent of the
school's CUiTent carbon footprint; the members of BHS Go Green Committee will survey
findings to identify areas of weakness in school, make recommendations to improve our school's
carbon footprint, and create recommendations for school policy; the members of BHS Go Green
Committee will develop a school awareness program; and they will evaluate the effectiveness of
This grant will help us purchase and install carbon efficient hand dryers in our schools to
reduce the waste created by paper towels. Grant activities will be evaluated through online
surveys to help graph the school's progress of becoming more energy efficient and
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environmentally aware in hopes to decrease our school's carbon footprint. We will disseminate
information through our school newsletter, the school and village websites, through local media,
Menomonie, WI
Acknowledgments
I would like to show my gratitude to all of the students who participate in BHS Go Green and
make it their goal to treat every day as e31th day. More specifically, to Megan O'Connell and
Tory Wetter who have shown me that true passion can accomplish things we never thought were
possible. Finally, it is an honor for me to have worked with my advisor, Dr. Alan Block, who
has given his time and advice to make this grant possible.
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT 11
Chapter I: Introduction
Statement of the Problem
Purpose of the Grant Proposal 4
Assumptions 4
Definition of Terms 4
Methodology 6
Chapter II: Literature Review 7
Statement of the Problem
Pwpose of the Grant Proposal 4
Assumptions 4
Definition of Terms 4
Methodology 6
Environmental Education 7
Companies the Support Environmental Education 7
Calculating Benton High School's Carbon Footprint 8
Reducing Benton High School's Carbon Footprint 9
Summary 9
Chapter III: Project Goals and Objectives 10
Goal 1 10
Goal 2 10
Goal 3 11
Goal 4 11
Chapter IV: Project Methodology 12
Action Plan and Timeline 12
Grant Project Timeline Table 12
Evaluation Plan and Tools 13
Dissemination Plan 14
Budget 14
VI
References 17
Appendix A: Cover Letter 19
Appendix B: Official WEEB Cover Page Form 20
Appendix C: Project Evaluation Tools 21
Chapter I: Introduction
Every day, people make choices that affect the health of the planet and each other. We
choose to drive a car or take the bus to work. We choose to throw paper away or recycle it. We
choose to ignore the litter we walk by in the park. Sometimes people are not even aware of the
decisions they are making, and how these decisions truly affect the health of their environment.
BHS Go Green is committed to making good choices every day and does their part to
keep the earth healthy. Part of this choice is to help others become aware of the impact they
have on the environment and how to reduce the amount of waste they create. By applying for
the WEEB grant, members ofBHS Go Green will help reduce the carbon footprint of the school
while helping students; staff and community members learn more about green living.
In a few short years, the upcoming generation will determine the fate of this planet. One
of the main focuses of educating today's youth is to prepare them to take an active part in
resolving conflicts and problems in order to create a healthier environment: an ever growing
problem that we live with and work in every day. "Kids, like most of us, will learn about the
things that attract and excite them." (Wheeler, 2009) But how can they become informed,
engaged and energized to promote change, to make personal lifestyle adjustments and to
encourage their friends, families and schools to do the same? It is incredibly important that
teachers help educate their students on how to cope with, and better yet change these
environmental problems by incorporating it into their cuniculum planning and school activities
in new and exciting ways. Activities such as "Environmental Education Projects" (Gough, 2003)
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can teach students many activities to help them be more earth conscience, such as the importance
of conserving water and electricity, or reducing the amount of waste that we create.
Our teachers' mission should be to help children develop a connection to the environment
"Children ... should be schooled in the knowledge and values that will allow them
to live sustainably. This requires environmental education, linked to social
education. The former helps people to understand the natural world, and to live in
harmony with it. The latter imparts an understanding of human behavior and an
appreciation of cultural diversity" (lUCN/UNEP/WWF, 1991, p. 53)
For example, teachers can teach the principles of zero-waste within the domain of the classroom,
how to make eco-friendly cleaners out of vinegar and water, or even how to calculate the carbon
footprint of his or her trip to school. On a greater scale, teachers' can help their students
understand the importance of a school wide composting or recycling program, or even help them
start one up. Regardless of budget or setting, there is a lot every teacher can do to inspire their
Teachers and administration can take these important learning tools and concepts one
step fUlther by trying to become a Green School or LEED school. A green building is "the
operation, maintenance and demolition". (Lieberman, 1998) Proponents say that green building
is not only environmentally friendly, but also healthier and more cost-efficient. According to the
U.S. Green Building Council website, LEED schools are schools that are designed and built
using strategies aimed at improving perfOlmance across all the metrics that matter most: energy
savings, water efficiency, C02 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and
stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. Schools that meet the standards of
Green or LEED schools have set the bar incredibly high to demonstrate how their students' can
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become more environmentally aware and take a greater approach to reducing their school's
carbon footprint.
Becoming more "green" in our classrooms and schools not only helps put a positive
change on our ealth's environment, but also helps to enhance our students' performances in the
classroom. Schools that help reduce their carbon footprint are healthier for kids and conducive
to their education. Numerous studies have demonstrated direct benefits to student health and
performance. For example, daylight improves performance; good indoor air quality improves
health, acoustics increases learning potential, comfortable indoor temperatures increase occupant
satisfaction. (Lee, 2002) These schools are also better for teachers because they have good
acoustics in classrooms ensure that teachers can be heard without straining their voices, everyone
in the school will benefit from daylight and access to views, and research indicates that teachers
are happier when they have the ability to control their environments. Healthy, happy teachers
save schools money. Green schools commonly repOlt reductions in teacher absenteeism and
teacher turnover, which amounts to huge savings during the lifetime of a school. (Lee, 2002)
The impact that environmental education has in the classroom is quite positive and
cannot only improve the awareness of our students, but also the fate of our environment.
" ... programs of environmental education in the formal education service ... are indeed playing a
significant role both in the development of peoples knowledge and understanding of the
environment and in their formulation of attitudes and feelings of responsibility towards it."
(Palmer, 1998) By educating them now, we can show them how small changes in our daily lives
The purpose of this grant is to help our students and staff develop a connection to the
environment through both learning and experience. More specifically, we want to reduce the
carbon footprint of Benton High School by installing carbon efficient hand dryers to replace our
paper towel holders. These hand dryers will reduce the amount of waste produced by the school
and we can use the money we save from not buying paper towels to enhance other areas of the
school. During this process we hope to incorporate a more environmentally based curriculum
into our teacher's daily lessons so our students can understand the importance of what this grant
Assumptions
For the sake of this Grant Proposal, it is assumed that the examples listed to reduce our
individual carbon footprints and the carbon footprint of our school (i.e.: recycling, saving energy,
etcetera) will actually make our environment a healthier place to live. It is also assumed that all
respondents answered the survey questions truthfully and participated in our interviews and
Definition of Terms
BHS Go Green is a student organization at Benton High School with a goal to make
people and students more aware of what they can do to help reduce the amount of waste they
produce. They participate in many green ideas and methods including applying for the WEEB
Grant.
5
Carbon Footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and
indirectly support human activities. It is usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide.
An individual's carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of carbon dioxide, which were
induced by the activities one participates in during a given time frame. A carbon footprint is
environments function and how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in
order to live sustainably. The term is often used to imply education within a K-12 school
district. It is "a learning process that increases people's knowledge and awareness about the
environment and associated challenges, develops the necessary skills and expertise to address the
challenges, and fosters attitudes, motivations, and commitments to make informed decisions and
person who is concerned with the conservation of the world's natural resources and improvement
of the environment. It can also be defined as someone who is concerned with the protection of
the environment.
Green Building is "the practice of creating healthier and more resource-efficient models
LEED School are schools that are designed and built using strategies aimed at improving
performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, C02
emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and
operate an environmental grants program. The unique make-up and mission of the board position
building common purpose and direction among diverse community sectors and stakeholders. It
was established by 1989 Wisconsin Act 299, becoming law in 1990. (Reilly, 1989)
Methodology
The first step of the grant process is to research green or LEED schools in order to give
the members of BHS Go Green ideas of how we can make Benton High School a healthier place
to live and learn. Then, we will conduct surveys with our students and staff to help us determine
what our school's carbon footprint currently is, and what specific areas we need to improve upon.
We will look for areas where the school creates excessive amounts of waste and brainstorm how
to reduce that waste (i.e.: replacing paper towels with carbon efficient hand dryers). Once BHS
Go Green members agree on a project, we will apply for the WEEB grant to help us fund the
Environmental Education
Reducing our carbon footprint is something that everyone should become aware of in
order to maintain a healthy place to live and learn. "Educators recommended that environmental
endeavors focus not only on awareness, but also on attitudes, skill development and citizen
participation in environmental problem solving." (Trisler, 1993) Many people are actively trying
to change their bad habits, but most people know very little about how to make environmentally
healthier choices or even where to stal1. By incorporating this knowledge and these skills into
the school curriculum, we can help more people in our conununity become aware of how their
Teachers need to help students become more actively engaged in how they can reduce
their own carbon footprint, and the carbon footprint of their school, as pal1 of their academic
curriculum. " ... environmental learning enhances children's cognitive development; helps
develop problem solving, decision making, and critical thinking skills; and nUl1ures a sense of
environmental education, students will become more knowledgeable about healthier habits and
There are several companies that work with schools and communities to reduce their
carbon footprint and teach students more about what they can do to help our planet. One such
company is the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board (WEEB) which has helped to
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develop K-12 Curriculum and Programs to teach students more about what they can do to help
the environment within their own school schools. WEEB believes that:
Another company dedicated to helping schools reduce their carbon footprints is the Earth Team.
The Earth Team is "a collaborative network connecting teenagers, teachers and youth leaders
By using the tools and materials provided by the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board and
The Earth Team, I will work with my high school club (BHS Go Green) members to research
ways that we can incorporate these methods in our school, and figure out which practices will be
To begin, the members of BHS Go Green will use a Carbon Calculator to find our
school's carbon footprint. A Carbon Footprint is defined as "a measure of the amount of carbon
dioxide produced by a person, organization, or location at any given time." (Orr, 1994). We will
use the current knowledge we have of our school, as well as researched information from
students, faculty and staff. Finally, we will survey students and staff to understand what each
individual contributes to the overall carbon footprint of our school. We will use the findings of
these actions and surveys to determine which area of the school we need to change the most in
Once we have established how we can make our school more environmentally friendly
and efficient, we will expand on that knowledge with the aid of the Wisconsin Environmental
Education Board. We will stati by incorporating our findings into the students' daily classroom
lives, and fixing different elements in our school. For example: incorporating how to conserve
electricity and stati recycling in the classroom; reducing the amount of paper towel waste in the
restrooms; or creating a compost bin in the school lunchroom. We will do this by providing
workshops for the teachers in our school to help them learn more about incorporating these
activities into their curriculum; as well as a putting on a presentation for the elementary students
demonstrating how they can help "go green" in their classrooms. In addition, we will research
Summary
Our students, teachers and school will greatly benefit from paliicipating in establishing a
more environmentally friendly school. Besides helping reduce our school's carbon footprint, a
greener school is more cost efficient and creates a healthier learning environment (healthier air,
less clutter, etc.). On average, green schools use 33 percent less energy and 32 percent less water.
If all new school construction and renovations statiing today were designed green, energy
savings alone would total $20 billion over the next 10 years. (Ford, 2007) In addition to
creating a healthier envirorunent to learn in, our students will be able to share their knowledge of
green living with friends, family and other members of the community.
10
Reducing the Benton High School's carbon footprint is a very big goal. In order to help
us stay on task and make are larger goal more manageable, BHS Go Green has created smaller
sub-goals and objectives to help us stay on task for the duration of our grant process. The
following chapter breaks down these goals and objectives to show how their completion will
Goal 1: Members of BHS Go Green Committee will determine the extent of the school's current
carbon footprint.
Objectives:
A. Email survey to all school students and staff (approximately 300 people) to
Objectives:
Objectives:
School" demonstration for the junior high and high school students.
how they can incorporate "going green" into their every day classroom
cutTiculum.
Objectives:
BHS Go Green wants to do our part to reduce the Benton High School's carbon footprint
and will use the money received from this grant to research and fix problem areas in the school.
These problems may include areas where we are creating excess waste, energy, or other
environmental hazards. We have created a plan of how we will research these problem areas and
will use the findings to determine the best way to spend the grant money. The following chapter
contains information on our timeline, evaluation plans and tools, the dissemination plan, and
budget to demonstrate how we will use this grant money in the most beneficial ways to fix
PRE-GRANT PLANNING
DATE ITEM
DEC. 2010/ Determine focus of grant and amount of money needed to determine if
JAN. 2011 the school will need a mini, small or large grant from WEEB
MAR/APRIL
Agency reviews proposal
2011
JUL. 2011 Disseminate project and survey results: reports to grant agency
Survey materials for the students and employees in the Benton School District will be
used to determine the overall carbon footprint of the schoo!. Examples of these materials can be
found in Appendix C (pages 20-23). Students and employees will be asked questions based on
how they get to school, how often and what materials they recycle while at school, and other
green habits they may have. Before we start our grant process, students and staff will be asked to
fill out the surveys to help detennine Benton High School's carbon footprint and also which
14
areas need immediate improvements to use the grant money for. We will also use the survey
periodically throughout the course of the grant to re-evaluate Benton High School's carbon
The first survey shown (pages 20-21) is designed for the elementary students
(kindergarten through sixth grade) and will be used with the help of a teacher for the youngest
groups (K-2) . The second survey (pages 22-23) is designed for Junior High and High School
students (seventh grade through seniors) and also for the staff and employees of the district. We
will give all surveys electronically for convenience, and to reduce the amount of paper waste
surveys create.
Dissemination Plan
With the never-ending struggle to fix the environmental problems we face today, it is
important that we make our students, staff and community members more aware of what they
can do to help reduce their carbon footprint. We will disseminate infOlmation to our community
members through our school newsletter, the school and village websites, as well as the local
media. In addition, information will be shared with our staff through monthly workshops, and to
our students through school assemblies throughout the school year. We will encourage staff and
students to continue to share the learned information through word of mouth. A final repOli and
presentation will be shared with the Benton School Board and submitted to the grant agency by
Budget
I. Personnel
II. Service/Supplies
15
The requested budget for equipment is $4,000. This is the amount to purchase and install
4 hand dryers for the junior high and high school washrooms.
The Benton School District uses paper towels in all of the school restrooms and washing
areas. Based on an average of 50 users per day in 7 units the annual operating cost of
these paper towel dispensers is $2,555. Ifwe replaced each of the paper towel dispensers
with a carbon efficient hand dryer the annual use would be lowered to $68.50.
The units cost $1,000 each, which includes the installation fees. If we replace four of
these paper towel dispensers with these new hand dryer units, the school would save
$2,841.36 . This saved money will be enough to cover the majority of the cost of the
remaining three desired units.
The amount requested for other expenses is $250. This includes paper for flyers and
handouts relating to the Go Green workshops and assemblies, as well as other expenses
(food, demonstration items, etc.) for those workshops.
Budget Narrative
The Benton School District is requesting the amount of $4,250 to help us staIi to reduce
our school's carbon footprint and help the building become more energy and cost efficient. The
changes we will make to the building have been planned and researched by the high school's
earth awareness group, BHS Go Green. BHS Go Green is implementing monthly staff and
student workshops and/or assemblies to help everyone become more aware of what they can
each, individually; do to make our community a healthier place to live. We are proposing the
amount of $250 be used for flyers, handouts and other materials related to these workshops and
assemblies.
In addition to workshops and assemblies, BHS Go Green has researched how to reduce
the Benton School District's carbon footprint, and has found that the most effective method
would be to replace the paper towel dispensers in all bathrooms and washing areas with carbon
efficient hand dryers. Our school district cannot afford these hand dryers because we have
recently passed a referendum to help us meet our basic school needs and, in addition, have made
drastic cuts in many areas of the school's budget. However, if we can obtain the money to install
these hand dryers in our school, the district will actually save money over time ($2,486.50 per
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dryer annually) . We are requesting the amount of $4,000 to purchase and install the first four
hand dryers and will use the money saved in the first year to purchase an additional three hand
dryers. We will use the annual money saved from these hand dryers to change other areas of our
References
Buickerood, Abel. (2000). About Us. Earth Team. Web. 15 April 2010.
http://www.earthteam.neti
Cole, Tim. (2010). Green Building Research. u.s. Green Building Council. Web. 20
April 2010. http://www.usgbc.org
Ford, Alan. (2007). Designing the Sustainable School. Chicago, IL: Images Publishing.
Lieberman, Gerald A. and Hoody, Linda L. (1998). Closing the Achievement Gap: Using
the Environment as an integrating Context for Learning. San Diego, CA: State
1031-1056.
OIT, D. W. (1994) Earth in mind: On education, environment, and the human prospect.
Palmer, Joy A. (1993). Development of Concern for the Environment and Formative
Reilly, Kevin. (1989). Our Mission. The Wisconsin Environmental Education Board.
of its role in the school cUlTiculum. Journal of Moral Education. 27(2), 209-224.
Trisler, Carmen. (1993). Global Issues and the EnviroJUnent. Clearinghouse for Science,
Wheeler, Die. (2009) Making a Circus for a Fragile Planet. Netv England Journal of
December 7,2009
The Benton School District is excited to submit a proposal to the Wisconsin Environmental
Education Board requesting a small grant of $4,250 in funds to suppOli our district goal of
reducing our schools' carbon footprint. We are making a fundamental commitment to protect the
environment through the continuous improvement of our energy performance while saving our
school district money. We believe that a district-wide energy management approach will help us
enhance our financial health and aid in preserving the environment for future generations.
Our High School organization BHS Go Green is determined to make our school more energy
efficient while teaching our students, staff and community members' simple actions they can
take to reduce their unique carbon footprints. Through the agenda of this grant BHS GO Green
will determine areas of energy improvement within our schools, aid our teachers on how to
incorporate environmental learning into their curriculum, and help our students understand how
their actions impact our environment.
As the first step in the goal of reducing our schools' carbon footprint, with your support we
propose to replace our schools' paper towel dispensers with carbon-efficient hand dryers. By
doing this our school will save $2,486.50 annually and reduce its carbon footprint by 3375
lb/C02. It is our hope that this is the first step of a long journey of making our schools a great
example of green living.
Thank you for your consideration of this proposal. Please feel free to contact me to answer
questions or provide fUliher information by email: showersd@my.uwstout.edu or
phone: 608-759-4002 .. We look forward to working with you on this important initiative.
Sincerely,
Dana C. Showers
Project Director
BHS Go Green Advisor
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GENERAL EE GRANT
PROGRAM
COVER PAGE
Administering Organization Mailing Address (Street, City, State, Zip)
Project Director/Contact Person Daytime telephone area code/number Fax area code/number Email
dshowers@benton.kI2.wi.lIs
Dana C. Showers
608-759-4002 608-759-3805
Mailing Address (if different from above) Street, City, State, Zip If different addresses, send mail to:
0 Admin. Organization OProject Director
Project Title
Percent Match: 58 %
(25% minimum)
Assembly District(s) of Senate District(s) of
WI Legislative Assembly District of Administering Organization 49 Target Audience Target Audience
CERTIfiCATION
If this project is approved, the undersigned certifies that the organization will participate as indicated in the narrative and will provide the matching dollars by cash,
services, or in-kind contributions between July 1,2010 and December 31, 2011. None of these grant funus will be used to supplant existing funding.
I am a:
BOY GIRL
Sometimes I throwaway:
When I'm the last person to leave my classroom I turn out the lights:
When I'm the last person to use it, I turn off the computer:
Please help us determine our school's carbon footprint by answering the following questions .
Class level
. DSeventh DEighth
DFreshman D Sophomore DJunior DSenior
2. If you checked that you drive yourself, carpool , ride with your parents or ride
the bus please fill in all of the following statements:
I drive or ride to school _ _ times a day.
There are __ total people (person) in my carpool.
I travel ___ miles in one trip.
(Use Google maps if you don't know your mileage)
6. What items do you throwaway (not recycle) the most while at school?
DPaper
o Paper Towels
OPe ncils/Pens
DFood Wrappers/Food Waste
7. If given the opportunity to recycle/compost your leftover lunch items, would you?
DYes
DNo
DWhat is composting?
8. Do you turn off the lights if you are the last person to leave a classroom?
DAlways OSometimes DNever
9. Do you turn off the computer monitor if you are the last person using it that class?
DAlways DSometimes DNever
10. Do you turn off the computer if you are the last person using it for the day?
DAlways DSometimes DNever