TCS Wins Ecology Award

The Bronze Award in the Eco Schools program sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation was presented to The Columbus School this past June to recognize the school´s efforts to create a sustainable environment.

An accreditation team of 8 Columbus School students met regularly and looked at different aspects of the school´s energy use, transportation policy and carbon footprint to measure it over time, improve it and be certified as ecologically responsible.

“The Bronze Award criteria requires an eco committee which basically has volunteers from every level of the school and  representation from parents. They meet once a quarter to collect data to create reports, an environmental review and an action plan,” Britta Mccarthy, Accreditation Team Sponsor and 8th Grade Science Teacher, said.

The school has as a goal to improve its ecological conditions and completed a 7 point checklist of requirements to be granted the award. The checklist includes having a eco action team that looks at the transportation, energy and carbon footprint while they record the data and improve in this aspects.

“We work constantly in order to fill the requirements, we do audits surveys and try to get everything in a dashboard and make it official,” Juan Manuel Rodriguez, 10th grader, said.

The Bronze Award gives the school prominence, builds awareness and assists the school to continue to promote ecology and the importance of being a green school.  It also encourages students to be more conscious to reduce waste, manage energy use and recycle.

“It gives more prestige to the school and this way students have the opportunity to be more involved in environmental related  projects.  Now that we get involved in projects such as GIN, we can make a difference in the world,” Andrea Cardona, 9th Grader, said.

Before winter break the school is  applying for Eco Schools  Silver Award and hopefully next year the Green Flag Award. To earn the Silver and Green Flag Awards TCS must monitor and collect more data in the things they are already doing, improve the eco action team and the communication with the school´s community.

“For us to get to the Silver Award criteria we have to do a better job at monitoring and evaluating the progress, so trying to be more environmentally responsible,”  Rodriguez, said.

The biggest issue the accreditation and ecology team has faced is the students who are engaged in the environmental responsibilities are only in certain science classes or working on special projects. Improvement demands that the whole Columbus School community gets involved and works for this growth.

“We are looking in way to involve the whole school and a wider community through pledges, video programs and curriculum,” McCarthy said.

Students on the accreditation team are not only functioning for the school’s recognition, but they are in a pursuit of changing and living in a healthier world.

“Honestly, I think it is a great way I can leave my mark in the world. I want a great world for my children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, etc,” Rodriguez said.