School Summit Puts Environment at Head of Class

By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff

PROVIDENCE — The environment is not just another subject, but an educational imperative, was the message at this year's Sustainable School Summit.

In his introductory remarks, Ken Ward of the Apeiron Institute for Sustainable Living — the organizer of the event — noted that the urgency to address climate change puts the environment at the top of educational priorities.

"The concept of sustainable schools is much more important than we thought twenty years ago," Ward said.

Embodying this call to action was Rhode Island's 2011 Teacher of the Year, Shannon Donavon. The Scituate High School science teacher, and former Apeiron educator, delivered a compelling presentation on the importance of combining sustainability with subjects such as science and math.

"I viewed my role as a teacher as an extension of my environmental activism," she said.

The site of the event, Nathan Bisphop Middle School, served as a model of a green, sustainable school. The 1929 structure was an East Side eyesore and nearly torn down until its aesthetic and sustainable features were deemed worth saving.

Bronze doors, plaster moldings and marble floors, along with ample natural light and an optimum use of space, were restored during a five-year renovation. When the school re-opened in 2009, the $43 million upgrades included new features such as two massive heating and cooling recovery systems, recycled rubberized floors, a gray-water collection system, reflective roofing, and bike and pedestrian improvements. 

A student-friendly video kiosk in the school lobby shows the school's real-time energy use and savings. Posters remind the nearly 700 middle-schoolers of the school's green features, helping bring the environment and classwork together. As one teacher noted, "environmentalism isn't just an after-school club. Our whole school is a green team."

During a tour of the 4-story building for school representatives around the state, Dave Gaudet, facilities manager for the Providence School Department, noted that the energy saving features aren't just about saving money. "It's about how you deliver a curriculum as well," he said.