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Department of Ecology News Release - May 19, 2009
09-117
OLYMPIA – Six Eastern Washington public and private schools will receive cash awards in Olympia on May 21, 2009, for their outstanding environmental programs.
The Terry Husseman School Awards program, presented by the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology), recognizes schools annually for developing and implementing innovative curricula, sustaining ongoing waste reduction efforts, or starting new environmental programs.
This was the first year private schools were eligible to compete in the environmental awards program. Of the 67 applications received, 12 were from private schools and 11 received awards.
The schools will receive their awards from Ecology Deputy Director Polly Zehm at 10:30 a.m. in the auditorium of the Department of Social and Health Services headquarters building in Olympia. The ceremony celebrates exceptional efforts to conserve resources, reduce waste and preserve the environment. Some of the programs include habitat restoration, alternative energy projects and recycling.
Award amounts range from $100 to $5,000. A total of more than $52,800 will be awarded across the state. The region’s school winners for the 2008-09 school year are listed below.
“This is a limited investment in our students and our schools that will have long-term benefits by building environmental infrastructure and teaching the concepts of stewardship and sustainable behaviors,” said Laurie Davies, manager of Ecology’s Solid Waste Program. “What they learn at school, they can practice at home, pass on to family and practice for a lifetime.”
The three categories of Terry Husseman awards are Seed Award, Sustainable School Award, and Environmental Curriculum Award.
The Seed Award helps schools with start-up costs for new programs in schools or the community.
Gonzaga Preparatory School – Spokane County. The school will use its award money to purchase additional recycling collection containers for the gym and supplies to build a shelter for the holding bins; $1,630.
John Sager Middle School – Walla Walla County. This award will support the school cafeteria waste composting program and help with the purchase of supplies; $2,200.
The Sustainable School Award recognizes schools that focus on waste reduction, recycling and sustainability.
Liberty Lake Elementary – Spokane County. This school recently expanded its paper recycling program to include plastics, juice packets and cardboard; $200.
Central Valley Kindergarten – Spokane County. Students, staff, teachers, parents and the local community are involved in mixed office paper recycling; $300.
Garfield Palouse Middle – Whitman County. In addition to recycling, students are getting an education in life science by doing river water quality analyses in the Palouse region; $200.
The Environmental Curriculum Award recognizes original curricula that introduce students, teachers, staff and administrators to the concepts of waste reduction, recycling and sustainability.
West Valley City School – Spokane County. All science students will focus on creating and executing in-depth, student-centered field investigations that allow students to connect abstract ideas to the natural world around them. Using the natural world as a context for learning creates opportunities for multiple intelligences, critical thinking and problem solving while opening possibilities to integrate reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, arts, speaking, and listening with the subject of science.
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Media Contacts:
Jani Gilbert, media relations, 509-329-3495
Cathy Cochrane, media relations, 509-329-3433
Kathy Davis, media relations, 360-407-6149
Michelle Payne, Sustainable School Awards coordinator, 360-407-6129
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
