Highlights from the 2016 Honorees

Alfonza W. Davis Middle School, Omaha, Neb.

Alfonza W. Davis Middle School is a state-of-the art LEED Silver building seated on the edge of Omaha among farm fields and open areas. The first middle school in the region to be LEED certified, the building was completed in May 2013, and was designed and built to reduce environmental impact. Everything from the landscaping to the trash program to countertops were created with sustainability in mind. Geothermal wells heat and cool the building and two green roofs reduce the heating and cooling load by providing extra insulation. Native plantings and retention ponds are used to limit water irrigation needs and address water quality and runoff.

Eighty-eight percent of students ride fuel-efficient school buses, many of which use liquid propane instead of diesel. District procedures and LEED building features ensure that best practices are in place regarding school environmental health, including such aspects as asthma triggers, ventilation, and chemical use. Natural light is featured in nearly every space in the building, even in basement rooms that traditionally would have no windows.

Davis recycles unwanted materials in recycling stations throughout the building. All teachers are able to spend time outdoors with their classes on the Davis campus. For example, a reading class might take their books outside to read. Math teachers find ways to do labs and lessons outside so that students can participate in applied knowledge. The Davis auditorium stage is built so that performances can be done inside the building in the gym, or from the outside using seating attached to the football stadium.

Staff and students, 46 percent of whom are eligible for free and reduced price lunch, focus on wellness each day through the use of outdoor spaces, good nutrition, and wellness activities. One of Davis’ school improvement committees focuses specifically on wellness, and has put several innovative measures in place, including a staff wellness in-service day, and a Fitness Fun club for students. Davis’ school health office, counseling office, and kitchen are committed to working together with families and the community to improve students’ mental and physical health. Partnerships with area physicians, dieticians, and a community counseling program; along with peer-taught lessons about social issues, touch students every day. Wellness information is shared with families via school newsletter and as part of Davis’ daily announcements. The closest high school offers a school-based health center that Davis students and families can access at low or no cost. A variety of athletics is offered to all students, and every student participates in physical education class for the entire school year.

In classrooms, students receive education on concepts related to sustainability education, environmental education, and green career pathways in nearly every curricular area. Tech and Living classes, as well as Career Education classes, focus specifically on the green technologies and career pathways. Davis’ green roofs are used by math teachers to teach an array of concepts including perimeter, volume, and rate, and by science teachers to teach biology concepts. Effective environmental and sustainability education is embedded into learning for all content areas in the building. Whether it is using an article about the environment as a catalyst for a debate in Social Studies, learning about technical writing in English using a piece on sustainability, or learning about actual sustainability theory in Tech & Living, Davis students are focused on environmental education throughout their days.

Students are taught that sustainability-related subject areas will be booming as they leave high school or college and enter the world of work. In math, science, social studies, and English classes, students learn using examples and applied activities based on wellness and environmental concepts. Students are taught every day about how they can affect the world around them, and how humans and the environment work with and against one another. Units on human geography, economics, and civic skills help students understand their role in these areas. Math teachers use sustainability and wellness concepts as examples in math lessons, classes, and story problems. In Tech & Living class, students apply information and research on sustainability and environmental topics to complete experiments, analyze data, and produce scaled replicas of green energy machines and vehicles. They understand that dependence on energy will be a challenge for the future.

Irving Middle School, Lincoln, Neb.

Irving Middle School has demonstrated a consistent ability to be a leader among Lincoln Public Schools for waste management and reducing environmental impact. Irving was one of the first schools to participate in the Lincoln Public Schools pilot recycling program in 1998, and has continued recycling paper, plastic, and aluminum. Irving was honored by the Keep Nebraska Beautiful recycling competition, and, to date, has diverted over 258,000 pounds of recyclables from the landfill through their program.

Irving was one of three Lincoln public schools to pilot a compost program in the cafeteria. This program engaged students and was overseen by a group of student leaders called the Food Waste Composting Pilot Team. Since implementing the compost program, and with the help of partner Prairieland Dairy Farm, the school has diverted 93,920 pounds of cafeteria waste, and has increased overall building diversion to 67 percent.

Irving is in the midst of an indoor air quality and renovation project, which focuses on a new energy efficient heating and air conditioning system. The project will significantly improve energy efficiency as well as provide a healthier learning environment for students. The scope of the project includes a geothermal system, LED lighting, and new exterior windows. The project has maintained an 80 percent or higher construction waste management diversion rate, partnering with WasteCap Nebraska. The local nonprofit’s expertise has allowed for more materials to be recycled than on any other project in the district.

A culture of wellness persists throughout the school year for Irving, with involvement in quarterly district wellness challenges, school-based Aardvark Activity Challenges, support for the mental health-focused Run to Overcome, the Backpack Walk and the Marathon Cheerfest, to name just a few activities. Each year the school donates barrels of food to the Lincoln Food Bank. The school has a walking club and intramurals for students, and holds several fitness-focused activities for staff engagement. Irving has benefited from cash awards to advance health and wellness from both the district and the national Fuel Up to Play 60 program.

Many innovative practices and partnerships ensure that students, 40 percent of whom are eligible for free or reduced price lunch, experience environmental and sustainability education at Irving. In grades six through eight, students experience environmental science and living organisms units. Irving teachers also receive district support for professional development in environmental and sustainability education. In seventh grade science classes, Irving students partner with Terracycle in efforts to earn money for The Wildlife Rescue Team of Lincoln.

Irving offers outdoor education to all seventh graders during the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District-sponsored annual field trip for environmental studies classes. During this trip, Irving students spend many hours netting bugs and dipping into a pond to evaluate biodiversity. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission offers contributions to the science curriculum at every level, and also funds projects and provides expertise for professional learning. The Zoetis-LPS-GSK Science Fair is open to all fifth through eighth grade students, and provides an opportunity for over 600 students to engage in science, technology, and society.