Georgia Brown Elementary receives award for recycling efforts
Adults in the photo from left to right: Michael Scott, a Cal Poly intern go wrote the application for the school,
Paso Robles City Councilman Steve Martin, SLO County Supervisor Frank Mecham, Georgia Brown Principal Ellalina Emrich-Keller, Victoria Carranza of One Cool Earth and USGBC Green Schools Co-Chair, Greg Ellis-Valencia of One Cool Earth, Mike Swettenam, Georgia Brown Garden Coordinator, Jen McIntyre, IWMA county recycling coordinator and USGBC Green Schools co-chair. Students In the picture are compost and recycling monitors, gardeners, and eco heroes.
The US Green Building Council presented Georgia Brown Elementary School an award and check for $500 for implementing a sustainability action plan, part of the Gateway To Green Schools program. Over this school year, students and staff have been composting food and recycling. The school is planning on planting drought-tolerant landscape for next year.
School Principal Ellalina Emrich-Keller announced the award at a school carnival on Friday evening.
Georgia Brown is the third school in the nation to receive the award. Program was started on the Central Coast and is expanding nationwide. The first school to receive the award was Bishop’s Peak Elementary in San Luis Obispo and the second was Lewis Middle School in Paso Robles.
The Gateway to Green Schools program is a set of steps to make schools more healthy and productive for the next generation:
- Create a Green Team at the school with the power to act.
- Adopt an environmental vision statement.
- Conduct a comprehensive school environmental audit.
- Create a Green School Action Plan based on an energy audit.
- Monitor and evaluate progress.Report results monthly in tabular and graphic format.
- Integrate environmental education into the school’s curriculum.
- Inform, involve and celebrate the school’s successes.
