Following a stellar pilot year, the Green Design Lab™, a pioneering K-12 green education program, kicks off the 2011-12 program with unique contest for as many as 30 partner schools
Solar One, a New York City-based nonprofit environmental education organization, in partnership with the
New York City Department of Education Sustainability Initiative and Division of School Facilities, has launched the Energy Challenge to officially commence this year’s expanded Green Design LabTM (GDL) program, a year-long curriculum centered on student-led projects that facilitate the greening of their schools and communities. With up to 30 partner schools participating in the 2011-12 program, schools stand to win a combined $30,000 through the Energy Challenge.
During the Energy Challenge, which will run from November to April, GDL partner schools will compare building-wide electricity usage by kilowatt hours (kW) while also gaining additional awareness through hands-on activities that expand upon the GDL program’s 10-week energy module. The top three schools with the greatest energy reductions will be awarded cash prizes, $12,000 for the top school and $9,000 to each runner up, to go to the schools’ budgets. The prizes are made possible through a generous major donation from the Department of Education, along with a contribution from Solar One.
Schools are projected to see a 5 to 10 percent reduction of electricity use and a drop in CO2 emissions through student-led behavioral changes that include unplugging unused electronics, shutting off lights in empty classrooms and more.
About Green Design LabTM
The Green Design LabTM is a free K-12 public school program that helps to reduce CO2 emissions and school energy costs, while improving student STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills.
The dynamic program is a year-long curriculum that fosters a shift in environmental education from one-off enrichment programs or field trips to in-depth project-based lesson plans where students become agents of change and learn vital STEM skills. Partner schools also benefit from a cost-savings on energy bills and overall improvements in building performance.
The Green Design Lab is the only program of its kind to provide partner schools with on-site, highly trained educators two days a week and professional development for educators on program implementation. The program consists of two portions, a GDL educator-delivered curriculum on energy in the Fall and a choice of other curricular units, ranging from air quality, water, food or materials, in the Spring.
This year’s GDL program, which will impact approximately 7,500 New York City students this school year, is nearly three times larger than Solar One’s pilot program and a significant step closer to Solar One’s goal of expanding the program to 150 schools in the next three years.
Quotes From Solar One and Partners
Council Speaker Christine Quinn: “By bringing everyone together to lower the energy bills in our public schools, Solar One's Green Design LabTM is tapping into New York exceptionalism – the creativity and persistence of the people of our city. The Council is dedicated to providing a more environmentally sustainable future for generations of New Yorkers. As the daughter of an electrical engineer, I am proud and honored to play a part in launching a program that will also teach our students invaluable STEM skills (science, technology, engineering and math), which will help to keep our city a leader in the tech sector."
Kathleen Grimm, Deputy Chancellor of Operations: “We are excited to offer this curriculum to more students this year. Solar One has provided students in many of our schools the opportunity to learn firsthand about the importance of conservation and preserving our natural resources by offering the Green Design lab that gives students the tools to evaluate the energy use in their schools. Students also will be able to read the Baseline Energy Report and the Physical Building Survey for their schools to learn how they can be instrumental in conserving energy in their own classrooms, hallways and throughout their schools.”
John Shea, New York City Department of Education, Division of School Facilities CEO: “Our schools are positioned to make a big difference in helping New York City to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals.”
David Gmach, public affairs director at Con Edison: “Con Edison is committed to creating a cleaner, more sustainable environment, and that’s why we’re delighted to be a founding supporter of Solar One’s Green Design LabTM initiative. Our partnership with the Department of Education and Solar One inspires students to be champions of change, and shows them how easy it can be to save energy and protect the environment. We invite everyone to learn how to save energy and money by visiting our
Power of Green page, and becoming a fan of Power of Green on Facebook.”
Christopher Collins, Executive Director of Solar One: “After last year’s highly successfully Green Design LabTM pilot, we are nearly tripling our program size to impact approximately 7,500 New York City students this school year. This supplements our overall goal to expand GDL to 150 schools over the next three years, which accounts for approximately 37,500 students. We are inspired by the rapidly escalating demand for GDL and the prospective impact the Energy Challenge has on the City’s goal to reduce school energy use by 30 percent.”
2011-12 Partner Schools
Partner schools confirmed thus far include:
- P.S. 085 Judge Charles Vallone
- P.S. 084 Steinway
- PS 122 - Mamie Fay
- The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria
- IS 204- Oliver W. Holmes
- William Cullen Bryant HS
- PS 112 Dutch Kills
- PS 12 James B. Colgate
- PS 040 - Augustus Saint-Gaudens
- MS 255 - Salk School of Science
- M399 - HS for Language and Diplomacy (WIHS Complex)
- M575 - Manhattan Comprehensive Night and Day HS
- M411 - Baruch College Campus HS
- PS/MS 194
- Eximius College Preparatory Academy: A College Board School
- Urban Assembly Institute of Math & Science for Young Women
- Boys and Girls High School
- Academy for Environmental Leadership
- Park Slope Education Complex @ MS88
- PS 33 - Chelsea Prep
- PS/IS 187 - Hudson Cliffs
- Queens Collegiate
- PS 86 Kingsbridge Heights School
- PS 57 - Hubert Humphrey
- With additional schools to be announced
School selections this year were based upon on geography, school demographic data and school enthusiasm for the program. Each school was required to provide four signatures (the school principal, custodian, sustainability coordinator and a teacher) on their application to further ensure a school’s complete commitment to participating in a successful program.
With support from GDL educators and online tracking and monitoring tools (Effacility.com), students participate in audits of their buildings and classroom appliances to gain a hands-on understanding of energy use and potential improvements. Schools are then required to participate in a sustainability project where they incorporate such elements as a solar array, an urban farm, or outdoor garden into their buildings.
In addition to offering a positive impact on City school children, GDL is helping Mayor Michael Bloomberg achieve his goal of a 30 percent reduction of energy use in City municipal buildings by 2017. By square footage, schools account for 40 percent of the City’s building stock and 27.5 percent of the city’s energy use. The program was acknowledged by the Mayor’s Office of Long Term Planning & Sustainability and included in the City’s updated PlaNYC 2030.
GDL is supported by private and public sponsors including NYC Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, New York City Council, founding supporter Con Edison, North Star Greening Western Queens Fund, Manhattan Community Board 3, HSBC, USA, N.A., Mertz Gilmore Foundation, American Honda Foundation, Constellation Energy, Colgate Palmolive, the Schmidt Family Foundation 11th Hour Project, J.C. Kellogg Foundation, and The Leslie and Daniel Ziff Foundation.
Pilot Program Achievements
Notable achievements from last year’s pilot program, which reached 10 schools and more than 750 K-12 students, include:
- A Bushwick school that created an urban farm on campus grounds where students learned composting, plant reproduction and urban food systems. A number of students continued the program via paid internships after the school year ended.
- A Washington Heights school, which accomplished an 11.4 percent reduction in electricity use in March 2011 compared with the year prior.
- Partner schools averaged a 40 percent increase in student knowledge of sustainability and climate issues, with two schools scoring an increase of more than 70 percent.